Project: HEAT
by Xekstrin
Summary: In the Triet Desert, remnents of Cruxis who style themselves The Elite intend to carry out their sinister Project: H.E.A.T. Where are the nine heroes? Is this the end of the world? [Collab with SpirituaMasquerade] Current Chapter: Revelation.
1. Heat

DISCLAIMER: I don't own diddly. Neither does Spiritua Masquerade.

* * *

I had already taken off my traveling coat, draping it over my head to protect me from the weight of the sun. Hours ago it had risen into the sky only to stick there, indefinitely, and I for one never wished more for the protection of nightfall. In the night, I wasn't dizzy. I didn't feel as though every breath was a struggle against this harsh environment. 

Genis kicks at a dead scorpion husk like most boys kick empty cans across the street, cheerfully running ahead of me in zig-zagging patterns and making me dizzy. As if the heat wasn't enough. "Genis…" I blink at how raspy my voice sounds. Clearing my throat, I yell over to him. "Genis, hand me the water."

I could go on for a few more hours without something to drink, but this is a clever way I've found of keeping him closer to me. I don't like it when he runs ahead, like he always does, and if I warn him to stay near me he'd just ignore the order and run faster. He returns to my side, relieving the panic in my chest, and hands me the water bottle. His dead scorpion is forgotten.

I stumble a few steps but try to hide it. I can't show weakness in front of Genis- he's more than my little brother. It's almost as if I have to be his parent as well, I have to be strong to make him feel secure. If I was a blubbering idiot, that just couldn't have a positive effect on his outlook. Another dizzy spell. I ignore it.

"Here you go, Sis," he says, grinning. "Starting to feel the heat, huh?"

I shrug, scanning the barren surroundings for any threats. Nothing but snakes and bandits in the desert, but it wouldn't be prudent to be caught by surprise. Triet was still far off, and I couldn't afford to waste mana on too many scrapes and bruises in case we came across a sand worm. Dunes rise and fall, a ruddy orange ocean spread out before me. Ocean. Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

I blink a few times, putting a hand to my forehead as another dizzy spell hits me. Why am I on the floor?

"Sis!"

Genis grabs at my shoulders, trying to make me sit upright so he could dribble more water into my mouth. Oh, Goddess, but this is perfect. I'm only lucid enough to realize I'm going to die here from overexertion. Why didn't I teach Genis more healing spells? Why didn't I pack more water, for Martel's sake?

A sudden shade, blocking the oppressive sunlight. Wings outspread, lifting me up, flying away with me, far, far away from the red-hued ocean. Salvation.

* * *

The first thing that came to my attention that it was cold. Blessedly, wonderfully, raise-the-hair-on-your-neck cold. Thank the Goddess Martel for that. I sit up, already putting my mask back on- the one everyone sees when they look at me. Cynical, amused, and distant. "How long have I been unconscious?" I ask her, trying not to show the surprise I felt. 

"Oh, only for a few hours, Professor!" Colette Brunel says, bright blue eyes and cheerful grin irrepressible, despite my best efforts to mellow her out and teach her to act more like a young woman and less like a ten year old on a sugar high.

"I see." That's all I need to say- although I want to embrace her tightly. Yes, even the cold-hearted Professor has emotions such as 'loneliness' and a need for companions. But even if all nine of my former traveling companions realize this about her, the only one she actually admits it to is herself. I bring the quilt up higher, holding it to my chest with one hand as I look around the room. Definitely not Flanoir architecture. "We're not in Triet, are we?"

"Actually, we are."

In my mind, everything she says ends with an exclamation point- even the questions. Trying to figure out the mystery for myself, I start to notice the tell-tale residues of mana still floating around the room. Not that Colette could see it. She wasn't a half-elf.

"Genis," I say. "A frost spell?"

Colette only grins wider. "I guess no one can get anything by the Professor, huh?"

I snort with laughter, rolling my eyes. Ah, flattery. My one weakness, but I'm pretty sure the only one who knows _that_ pretty tidbit of information about the dreaded Professor is the Professor herself. "You'd be surprised," I tell her, my voice dry as the desert I had so narrowly avoided. "Thank you. You saved me earlier, didn't you?" I ask. Colette blushes.

"Uh, yeah," she said, looking at the floor. _Take the compliment like a woman! _I want to scream. _Have I taught you nothing?_

"Hm." I fix her with the Patented, Penetrating, Prying Professor gaze. "And aren't you supposed to be helping with the reconstruction of Iselia…?" I ask, trailing off ominously.

She flushes again. "Uh… yeah."

"Oh come on, Raine!" Genis complains from the doorway, letting in an unpleasant gush of arid Triet air before he kicks the door shut. "She saves you and the first thing you do is nit-pick. Don't listen to her, Colette. OW!"

I'm not so weak I can't reach for my staff for a long-distance thwacking.

"Actually, Genis, my dear brother, the first thing I did was thank her for rescuing me," I say in my normal tone, as if I hadn't just left a lump the size of Meltokio on Genis's head.

"I didn't just leave in the night," Colette says, explaining herself. "I asked if it was all right, if they didn't need my help with anything." She looks down at the floor for a moment, the emotion clear on her face. She isn't a good poker player, not like the Professor. "And… and they didn't."

Ah.

Yes, but that does make sense.

Ever since Lloyd-

"Well," I find my mouth moving on its own, without my express permission. What? What is this, another heat stroke? "Well, _we_ could certainly use your skills, Colette. It's only been a few months since you've seen combat, and I remember how much damage your chakrams dealt."

"And how much better you are at cooking than Raine!" Genis piped in, earning himself another smack.

"Oh! But-" Flush. Again. "Well, I mean… yeah!" she smiled. "Yes, I would love to travel with you two again. It's just what I need."

"Excellent." I smile at her, wondering if the pity shows. Everyone knew Colette was in love with Lloyd.

Nobody knew he would reject her for Presea.

"Now that it's all decided, we should thank Yuan," Colette said, making my train of thought screech to a halt.

"Why would we need to thank Yuan?" I ask Genis. I try not to let the emotion show on my face, but I'm not sure how well it's working. Yuan. Why, of all places, did she drag me back into his scheming claws here in the Triet Base? I thought I had escaped!

Colette answered for him. "Well, this was the closest place I could find…"

"You said we were in _Triet_." Professor, don't sound accusing! This is Colette, after all! It doesn't get through her mind that not everyone is friends with heartless scholar Raine Sage.

"Triet Desert, yeah!"

Ugh. I sigh as softly as I can, not wanting to make Colette feel guilty or anything. I was going to have to see that obnoxious seraphim again. Obnoxious, demeaning, show-off. So many words to describe him run through my head I can't even begin to say them.

Maybe I _should_ have died.

* * *

A/N: Well? Well? How did you like the first chapter? I personally can't wait for Spiritua's chapter! I know from experiance she's a great writer who comes up with some brilliant fic ideas. Chapter one wasn't very long- nothing to write home about. Maybe 1,200 words. Anyway... those who read the RUNAWAY series know there's gonna be something twisted coming, sooner or later. I just have to check with Spiritua to ask her how 'weird' or 'normal' this fic will be. And who knows who will be paired with whom? You might just be surprised...

SPLOOSHIE OUT!


	2. Enter: Yuan

**Spiritua Masquerade:** You may recognize me from my collab with Meowzy-chan, Forsaken. Yeah. This is my second fic, and again I'm collaborating with a far better writer than myself. So… Don't expect much, but bear with me. By the way the way, here's the situation on the two worlds: they are still as they were, but the connection is way more stable. There's a Great Tree in each world, and each town has a Rheiard Station of sorts to travel between the two worlds. Now for my chapter. Enter: Yuan.

* * *

When I woke up this morning, I never would have thought I'd see her again. When I walked down the deserted halls of my once glorious Renegade base, closing my eyes to see them when the base was in it's prime. When I ate alone at the table meant for a hundred, a meal of cold and sticky oatmeal, knowing that not so long ago she'd sat there with me. When I read and reread the same two sheets of paper, inside information sent by my two correspondents, remembering the days when I had stacks three feet high of reports to pore over. When I sat back in my chair and remembered how I'd always hated it, the hustle and bustle of the base, the massive workload… When I promised I'd never again take something so for granted.

When I heard a harsh pounding on my massive door, disturbing me from my thoughts. When I cursed aloud at the interruption, yet rose to answer it anyways. When I heard a familiar voice, desperately crying my name. Even when I opened my door to a familiar golden-haired angel, her eyes rimmed with tears of distress. Even when a silver-haired half-elven boy was spotted crouching beside a limp figure on the ground behind her, I never would have thought I'd have to see her again.

Her.

Raine Sage.

The one that turned my base from a home to a hellhole.

The one that left this feeling of emptiness deep in my gut.

The one that I hate more than anyone.

But it's not that simple. If I hate her, why does the empty feeling remain? Perhaps because she gave me a taste of what could be, and I'm hungry for more. Perhaps because she showed me what it was like to be cared about. That was before she left, of course. She worked for so long to get my guard down, to get me to let her into my mind, then when she finally got it, she up and left without reason. It was all just a game to her… I should have known. She was too smart to love me for long. If at all. Heh.

I was so shocked to see her that I actually froze in place. Only when Colette and Genis brought me back to reality with a "…Y-yuan?" and a "Come on, you idiot Renegade, she needs _help_!" could I move once more. I invited them in, told them to take any of the rooms. They're all empty nowadays anyways. Well, except for two, but one's _my_ room, and both are too far toward the center of the base for those three to bother with. Yet I didn't follow them. I couldn't, though I don't quite know why.

Instead, I returned to my office, finishing the report I was reading, as well as reading the last one, before tidying up my desk. I leaned back in my chair, gazing absently at the ceiling and wondering what I'd done to deserve being cursed this way, having her return to my base once more. After a few minutes, I shook the thoughts from my head. If she was here, she was here, and there was nothing I could do about it, so I might as well not sit around and complain. I looked to my clock, hanging on the wall opposite my desk. It had been two and a half hours since I'd let them in. If I grabbed some lunch on the way, it'd be three hours. Plenty enough time to wake up in the company of her friends, I thought.

And still I think that, fully fed and walking down the vast main hallway. The echo of my footfalls is the only sound I can hear against the silence that has made itself at home in my domain. It sounds strangely out of place, foreboding even.

No, Yuan, don't be an idiot. The enemy is _outside_, remember? And for all they know, the Triet Base is nonexistent. It can only be seen by those who know exactly where it is, without a doubt in their mind. A clever bit of cloaking magic I set up myself but a few days ago. It's impossible to trick, and I know that. Am I getting paranoid? Heh, after four-thousand years, I've finally cracked. Not.

A sharp right turn brings me into a smaller hallway, this one filled with doors. I know the Chosen, the half-elf, and _her_ are in one of the rooms, I'm just not yet sure which one. Wait… I pause. I hear voices. Coming from… THERE! Sure of my realization, I confidently stride over to the door in question, knocking three times. All goes silent inside for a moment, and I assume they're all glancing at each other wonderingly. At last, I hear a bright, cheery voice call, "Come in!"

I open the door, and am immediately caught under the harsh gaze of two half-elves and the not-so-harsh one of the tiny angel. She giggles slightly, waving a hand back and forth in greeting.

"Hi, Yuan!" she bubbles, smile ever-present. Someday, I'm going to find out how she does this. I haven't seen her stop smiling, not once since I met her. Aside from the brief period when she was lifeless, but I'm not going to count that against her.

"Hello, Yuan." Comes a slightly chilled voice beside me, and I don't have to wonder a moment at who it would be. Genis. The silver-haired boy —though by the way he's grown, he's scarcely a boy any longer, getting up to about my height— never did like me, and after what happened with his sister, I'm surprised he hasn't tried to kill me in my sleep. Though I may have spoke too soon, by the way he's glaring at me. I meet his gaze, staring right back. Though my gaze is a bit less spiteful. Okay, a _lot_ less spiteful. However, after a moment, he looks away, deciding this the wrong time to settle things.

I now have nowhere else to look but to the third person in the room, the one whom I never thought I'd see again. Never _wanted_ to see again. Raine.

The moment I look her way, our gazes meet, fixated upon each other. Though her eyes are cold, they aren't hateful like Genis'… No, instead they regard me as more of a stranger. For some reason, this in itself hurts worse than if she'd hated me.

"Raine," I start, nodding a greeting. Yet whatever I intended to say will never be finished, for she speaks before I can.

"Yuan." Her voice is strangely even, though colder than Flanoir's winter, and she inclines her head slightly in greeting. I tear my gaze from hers, looking to the ground. Please, Raine, hate me. It'd be better than this, this cold indifference… But you know that, don't you? You know what will get to me, and you're using that to your advantage. I hate you, Raine. Or, at least, I'm trying to.

After a minute, I become keenly aware that two more beings are watching this exchange as well, one with wide, innocent eyes and the other with narrowed ones. I clear my throat audibly, to help relieve the awkward silence.

"Oh!" Colette starts, her face alight with realization. But then she paused, an expression of thoughtfulness on her face. I sigh slightly. She must have remembered something, but forgotten it again. Knowing Colette, this is gonna take a while. The three of us watch her expectantly as she tries to re-remember. "Oh yeah!" She turns to me. "Thank you, Yuan, for letting us use one of your rooms!"

The two behind me mumble grudging 'thank you's, and I nod, unsure of what to say.

"Of course I would. We're on the same side, are we not?" I reply, and she nods eagerly, grinning from ear to ear.

Suddenly the door bursts open behind me. I whirl around, to come face to face with Sheena, breathing hard, with her usually neat hair a bit of a mess.

"Sheena?"

"Sheena?"

"SHEENA!" A blur of blonde flies past my head, and the next thing I see, Colette is clinging to the ninja like she hasn't seen her in years. Sheena laughs slightly, hugging the bouncy Chosen back before peeling herself from the angel-strong grip. The tiny angel takes no obvious offense, flouncing back to her seat and smiling even wider than before.

"Sorry I'm late, this _idiot_-" At which point, the summoner sends a pointed glare at me, "-didn't tell me we had visitors."

Though Colette remains smiling joyfully, the other two look dumbstruck.

"_We_ have visitors? _WE?_" Genis is the one who voices their thoughts. Sheena laughs uncomfortably, glaring at me once more, though this time I swear I don't deserve it.

"Yes, _we_. I've been staying here in Triet with Yuan to aid him in the resistance." She explains, though they look just as confused as before.

"Err… Resistance?" Raine repeats blankly.

"It's where you resist stuff," explains Colette, which clears things up right away. Not. Oh well. At least she tried. I look to Sheena, who I find is already looking at me, a look of disbelief on her face.

"You haven't told them? What kind of an idiot _are_ you?" She fumes, and I manage not to flinch. Sheena sometimes gets scary when she's angry…

"I didn't have time, I just-"

"It doesn't matter." She interrupts, and turns to face the half-elves and the Chosen. "A group of angels who call themselves the Elite have formed a plan, dubbed Project H.E.A.T., and the eventual outcome of said plan will be their complete domination of the world."

"Assuming Yuan didn't do it, how did they become angels? Isn't the only way to become an angel to have angel powers bestowed upon you by one whose already an angel?"

"What does H.E.A.T. stand for?"

"Why would they do such a thing!"

"All good questions," Sheena continued, "But, sadly, we don't know the answer to any of them. We have a theory for the third, but it's far too unstable to let out into the open as of yet. I can tell you what we _do_ know, however. We know that they are based in a citadel on the west side of Triet, near the shore. We know that they have highly advanced technology that outdates anything we have here, and it's likely they got it from Tethe'alla, which means they have ways of commuting goods between the two worlds, whereas the rest of us only have single and double-seated rhieards. We know that they are all amazingly strong, though if the fighting is one on one we could likely win. The problem is, there's enough of them that if we stormed the citadel, the five of us, we'd each be fighting four full-fledged angels. Lastly, we know that they can't dominate the world without a pact with Origin or the Eternal Sword. I'm holding the pact with Origin, so as long as I remain alive, that's safe. Our priority should be to find Lloyd and bring him here to relative safety, but we have no clue at all where he is, and we're swiftly running out of men to help us. The Renegades were disbanded when the war against Cruxis ended, but when Yuan tried to call them back, only around twenty came. Ten were lost when we first tried to infiltrate the citadel, and five more were picked off one by one when sent out to scout. The remaining five are growing worried for their lives, and we're not sure we can trust them to remain loyal if the going gets much rougher. So it's just the five of us."

For quite a while, the three sit in stunned silence. Finally, Genis breaks the silence.

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know! Sheena sounded almost exactly like the Professor!" Colette giggles.

"No, I mean... We have a lot of work to do, if we're gonna stop these losers."

"No we don't." A sharp, voice comes from the bed in the corner. All eyes look to Raine, surprised. "_We_ don't have any work to do. Sheena, I'm sorry for your losses, but me and Genis are just passing through. Good luck on your resistance movement, but my brother and I will not be participating. In fact, I'm feeling much better now, so I think we'd better be going. We're passing through Triet to collect some supplies and perhaps stay a night, then we're continuing on our journey."

If they were shocked at Sheena's speech, they're even more so at Raine's announcement. I admit, even I am a bit surprised. I can't help but wonder if she'd help if I weren't involved…

"Raine, are you _serious_? We HAVE to help them! I'm going to stay no matter what you say. I'm not going to let the world be destroyed just because of my sister's selfish emotions!" Genis shouts, and Raine's eyes widen a moment, before she narrows them in challenge.

"You will come if I tell you to come, Genis Sage. And don't even _start_ to pretend you understand how my mind works, because you don't." She hisses. Colette and Sheena watch with widened eyes. I'm guessing Raine's never taken this tone with Genis before? Yes, that's likely it. I look to Sheena —I've been doing that a lot lately, haven't I?— and she looks halfway between angry and distressed. Either way, I can tell she's not going to interrupt, lest Raine turns her anger on the ninja. So I suppose it's my job.

"Triet? If that's where you're headed, you'll be dead in twenty-four hours."

All eyes turn to me. Including hers.

She glares at me with her familiar piercing eyes narrowed. I gaze right back, my own eyes slowly narrowing as well. I can sense the others watching the staredown, wondering who's to win. The tension between us is so strong, I can _feel_ it, a feeling similar to being charged with static electricity. That's the half-elf in me; if any emotion is strong, I can feel it. After what seems like forever, she sighs, averting her gaze.

"I suppose you're going to explain yourself?" Her voice is still cold, but at least the staredown is over.

"Indeed. The Elite have got a stranglehold on Triet, and anyone who goes in right now will likely be killed. All in all, the safest place in Sylvarant right now is here in the Triet Base." I explain. After a moment in which I assume she's processing what I said, she nods.

"Then we stay."

"YEAH!" Genis cheers, throwing a fist in the air, and Colette grins in celebration. Sheena, however, merely smiles slightly and nods.

"I'm glad." her voice is soft, though after a moment her smile fades and her usual strong tone is resumed. "Now, like I said, our first priority is to find Lloyd."

I sense a sudden change, a sudden chill. And since my Cruxis Crystal prevents me from feeling hot or cold, I know that this chill is coming from one of the four other occupants of this room. The chill I've come to know as grief. I look around me, and my eyes come to rest on Colette. The tiny angel's eyes are rimmed with tears. I look away, pretending I haven't noticed, for I know not how to go about comforting her, and if I were to just stand there and watch, it'd be quite awkward for us both.

"Ll-Lloyd is…" she starts, her voice cracking, "on h-his exsphere journey. W-with… P-Presea."

Sheena looks to the golden-haired Chosen, her eyes suddenly sympathetic. She steps across the room, coming to stand beside Colette and silently enveloping the blonde in a hug of reassurance. After a moment, she stepped back, holding Colette by the shoulders at arm's distance.

"Do you know where he is right now? I know it may hurt, but…" She trails off, unsure of how to finish.

Colette smiles slightly. "It's okay, Sheena. I know this is important to saving the world. And... I'm not positive where he is now. I heard he was going to head for the northern continent first and work his way back down and around to Triet, then return to Iselia for a while." Apparently realizing how weak her voice sounds, she forces her smile to widen reassuringly.

"And he left about three years ago…" chimed in Genis.

"So that means he'll be around…" I begin, doing the math in my mind.

"Triet." Once again, that chilled voice from the corner surprised us. We all looked to the scholar, who looked away, apparently still fighting an internal battle over whether or not to be helpful.

"Triet." Sheena echoed, a note of dread in her voice.

"We have to find him before they do." I confirm.

"If they go after Lloyd, they have to go through me!" Genis declares, his eyes ablaze with determination.

"That wouldn't be too hard," giggles Colette, earning her a slightly dirty look from Genis. Only slightly though. He, like everyone else, finds it impossible to be angry with the young, naïve, bubbly Colette.

"_Coleee-eeette_!" He whines. "You're starting to sound like Ll-"

Obviously he thought better of finishing.

Sheena turns to the three visitors. "So it's agreed? You're all staying?"

"Yep!" Colette beams, the tears on her cheeks nearly dried.

"Hell yeah!" Genis agrees, the content of his agreement earning him a whack upside the head with the blunt side of his sister's staff. All eyes turned to Raine, who hesitated. After a moment, she sighed.

"Yes, all right. I'm in."

* * *

**Spiritua: **Hehehe… I had so much fun with that. Oh the drama! Mwahaha…

**D-wings: **I don't know what you're talking about, Spiritua! You're a great writer! Ahem, and now to the readers: we put out the problem right away, which is kinda against my style, but definately in Spiritua's. If you read my RUNAWAY stories you know there's like a ballion chapters before we find out what the hell is going on. Ehe.. yeah. HOORAY SPIRITUA! she motivates me to get off my lazy ass and write the damn chapter and not a filler. Plus, she wrote a chapter longer than I did, which gives her 500 brownie points. Yay!

** Next Chapter: ** Inside The Mind of an Angel.


	3. Inside the Mind of an Angel

There must be something wrong with me.

I don't understand how I could be happy that such terrible things have happened here in Triet, or that there's a new danger to the world. After all the hard work… all the suffering… Lloyd's wish never even really came true. There's still two worlds, even if they now exist in peace.

But I can't help it.

It's not a sin to be happy. It can't be. It's… the only thing I have left.

Goddess Martel, please allow me this one last chance. Give me the strength I need, so that I don't have to depend on someone ever again like I did with Lloyd. Give me the strength to-

"PILLOW FIGHT!"

THWUMP!

I cry out as Sheena lunges at me while I'm still kneeling in prayer, sending me on my back as she straddles my hips with a fluffy down pillow in her hand and a mischievous grin on her face. I flush. "_Sheena_!" I say, accusingly. "You scared me!"

"There's no mercy in war, Colette! For Mizuhooooooooo!" Sheena hollers out her battle cry, thwacking me with her pillow. I sputter, spitting out a few goose feathers before knocking her off of me and grabbing my own pillow, shifting into a fighting stance.

Give me the strength to totally own Sheena in a pillow fight!

…wait. Wait, no! Scratch that! I didn't really mean to… grrr! I flush a darker red, hoping that particularly needless prayer didn't get sent up to the Goddess. Sheena takes my distraction to her advantage, chasing me about the room and waving her pillow in the air, eventually catching up to me and slapping me around a few times before I can retaliate.

THWUMP!

POW!

SMACK!

SWAP!

SMASH!

"Aieeeee!"

"Gotcha that time didn't I- ack!"

"Cheat! You _cheated_!"

CRASH!

"What in the name of all that is good and holy is going _on _here!"

"Mnuh?"

I look up at Yuan, painfully aware of the compromising position I was in. Here, in his home, I was making a racket and destroying his goose feather pillows. Oh boy. The fluffy substance rains down on me, paused with Sheena's right hand clasped tightly in mine so that she couldn't escape from my pillow-y wrath.

"Ummm…" Sheena says, summing up the whole situation in one monosyllable.

Awk-waaaard.

"Pillow fight," I add weakly, getting up off of Sheena to kneel nearby, clutching the pillow to my chest as I try my best not to flush and grin. I couldn't help it though- even this part was fun. "…Sorry."

Yuan looks at me with a weird expression on his face, kind of like he wants to say something. Then he sort of half-chokes and mumbles, "…Just don't do it again," before leaving, his black cape trailing along behind him. "We have work to do tomorrow."

I flinch, looking down at the ground. "…Sorry," I repeat, my voice smaller this time.

"Don't worry, Colette," Sheena says. "He's a grouch, and besides, I'm the one who started the whole thing in the first place." She stood up, slapping away the goose down from her long black hair. "If anyone should be sorry, it's me." She pauses, grinning. "And I'm not."

_You're so cool, Sheena._

"OK," I say, getting up and collapsing down onto my bed. Since the Renegade Base wasn't being used for several hundred people anymore, only a few of the rooms were furnished and fit to live in, so two of us were forced to share a room. I didn't mind, though. I missed Sheena's presence in my room at night, since on the first journey we had always been roommates whenever we found an inn to stay in. Genis and the Professor always shared a room, too, but now that he was older he minded it a little more. Sheena flips off the lights and I hear her on the other side of the room, shifting in her bed to find a comfortable position for the night. She sighs, softly, and I feel my heart reach out for her. Sheena's always been my friend, even when she didn't realize it.

"Hey Sheena?" I whisper. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up." Sheena is silent, but her breathing says that she's not deep in slumber yet. OK then. Let her be bashful… Sheena never takes my compliments gracefully.

* * *

"So." 

The Professor drums her fingers on the table, her plate of breakfast lying untouched before her. I spot Genis eyeing it, his fork idly scraping across his own empty plate, and I giggle. Genis is a lot taller than when I last saw him, but he hasn't really matured into an adult just yet. I glance over at the Professor. I wonder if she considers me an adult?

"Do we have a plan of action?" she continues, poking at her eggs with her fork before sighing and sliding the plate over to Genis. Sheena snatches it out from under his nose, taking a large slice of bacon and munching on it while impishly smiling at him. The half-elf's eyebrow twitches and he makes a grab for the plate but Sheena only scoots it farther away from him, holding out a forkful of egg before his eyes, taunting him. Accepting the challenge, he reaches out and gulps the egg down right from the fork before leaning back- and taking Sheena's fork with him.

"Hey!" Sheena complains.

"Plan… of action," Yuan repeats, ignoring the battle.

"Yes, Yuan," the Professor says. "If I'm going to be here to help you in your little resistance movement, I hope we're going to do more than stay here and have pillowfights like little girls at a sleepover." She sends a significant glance in my direction and I flinch, looking down at my breakfast. I guess that answers my question.

Yuan sighs, kicking his feet up on the table and flicking a strand of blue hair out of his eyes. "So harsh," he says, before flipping over a large manila envelope to the Professor. She catches it; her eye still fixated on him, and then turns her attention to its contents.

"Are these our enemies?"

I hold out my hands for the pictures she's holding. "May I see, Professor?"

"Of course." She slides the envelope across the table, letting me see several reports with photos paper-clipped to each one. I rifle through them, my angelic powers letting me skim over the words and instantly memorize them. Then I turn my attention to the photos, taking more time with them and running my fingers along the laminated surface, my eyes darting over each grim and scowling face until-

"Oh, he's _cute_." I freeze. "Ehehe… I mean…He looks very…"

Sheena snatches the photo out of my hand, raising an eyebrow. "He's nothing special."

Yuan, in turn, snatches the photo from Sheena to see which of our enemies provoked such a reaction in me. "Nothing special?" His aqua eyes flit upwards to meet mine. "This man," he says, holding the photo up and flapping it in the air once. "Is the leader of the remnants of Cruxis, and our number one threat."

There was a long silence around the table before Yuan spoke up again, smiling thinly.

"You must really like them with spiky hair, Colette."

"Don't knock till you've tried it," the Professor mutters, glancing over at the clock on the wall.

Yuan scowls at her before taking the rest of the papers back from me. "What do you suggest, storming the place?" he snaps. I look from him to the Professor, wondering if they've always been like this or if this is like a recent thing.

"No," she says. "Reconnaissance, of course. Do we or do we not have a ninja in our employ?" she shoots a small smile at Sheena, who returns it. "The information you had on them before might have changed once they realized there was a threat against them in the form of your Renegades. So before we make any plans, we need to find out how tight their stranglehold on Triet is, how secure their defenses on their home base is, and how often, if ever, they venture out of the stronghold."

Now that's the way the Professor operates! I give her a huge grin, pumping my fist into the air. "Sounds good to me! I'm behind you all the way, Professor!"

"Me too," Sheena and Genis chorus.

Yuan looks away. Oops. He's probably angry that we took his 'leader' title away and gave it to the Professor. But hey, he's the one who asked for ideas, and the Professor gave him one.

"Let's start at once," he says. Meeting closed.

* * *

**Dragonwings**: Hooray for suggestive pillowfights! Eheh.. yes, please ignore me. Again, my chapter is pitifully short. I feel so inferior T.T anyway, next chapter should be up maybe tomorrow, or the day after that. Have fun! 

Next Chapter: The Ninja in Our Employ


	4. The Ninja in Our Employ

**Spiritua:** Yes, another authors note. For those of you who reviewed or intend to review with a 'oh no, not (insertpairinghere), that pairing sux' sort of review, save it. The odds are, that pairing isn't gonna be how it ends up. So… yeah. Now with that being said, enjoy my Sheena chapter. :D

* * *

Many times I've been asked, 'Why did you do it? Why did you give up your position as Chief of Mizuho?' and many times I've answered, 'It wasn't where I belonged.' Nobody seemed to understand... More like nobody cared enough to _try_ to understand. But it was true, what I said. I didn't even truly belong in the village, let alone as chief. I was only considered for the position because of the love that my 'grandpa', former Chief Igaguri, felt for me, and the fact that I was famous. Had I not aided in the saving of the world, I wouldn't have even been a lingering thought. Plus, Orochi-san deserved the title far more than I. He was the best ninja in the village, as well as the smartest, not to mention the fact that he was Mizuho-born.

Besides, my heart could never truly be loyal to Mizuho, especially not while I was caged there as Chief. I need to roam, to adventure. To be free. So I let Orochi be Chief, and I left the village, to much public opposition. They're still none too fond of me, and I find it in my best interest to stay away until things cool down a bit.

I stopped by Yuan's Triet Base about two weeks ago, hoping to borrow a Rhieard for quicker travel, and ended up getting tangled up in a huge struggle between good and evil. Isn't that usually how it works? Last time, too. A simple assassination mission, and I ended up fighting Cruxis. I don't mind much. I always have liked to be where the action is.

I crawl silently from my bed, well aware of the sleeping angel mere feet away. I change into my violet robe, laying my sleepwear back on my bed and deftly tying the pink ribbon around my waist to hold said robe shut. Tucking my Divine Judgment card under the ribbon –one can never be too careful— I noiselessly pad over to the door. If it had been anybody but Colette in the opposite bed, I would have been able to make it out without difficulty, but the tiny angel, even when sleeping, still had the acute hearing of such. So when I am about halfway across the room, I hear her soft snoring cease. She turns over in her sleep, facing where I stand, and I froze. For nearly a minute I remain like this, frozen, before she mumbles something incoherent and turns over once more, facing the wall again. I hastily creep the rest of the way, slipping inaudibly from the door. Leaning against it, I heave a sigh of relief. I made it. Now off to Yuan's office.

I slip down the hallway and take a right where it forks at the end. Taking the steps two at a time, I come to a door. Yuan's office. I open it without knocking, striding confidently inside before closing it a bit more roughly then I did the previous door.

"'Morning, Sheena." he greets me without even glancing up from his papers. I notice that today there are even fewer than before.

"Good morning." I reply stiffly. He at last looks up from the reports scattered on his desk.

"Sheena, you aren't still sore about the day before yesterday, are you?"

Of course I am, you idiot. But you _are_ probably my closest ally at the moment, so I guess I can't stay mad at you. I sigh slightly.

"... I guess not. But next time, can you please inform me when three of our friends arrive on our doorstep, especially if one of them's nearly dead?" My request is slightly snappish, but he doesn't seem to take offense.

"Deal." comes his reply, with which I nod in satisfaction, taking a seat in one of the plush chairs that stand in various spots around the room. After a few minutes of silence, I smirk slightly.

"So what's the _real_ reason you didn't tell me? Wanted to have her to yourself a while first?" I tease, expecting to hear his deep, pure laughter in response. Instead, he freezes, his eyes still on his papers yet not taking in a word.

"I'm sorry you're not the first thing I think of when my ex shows up half dead on my doorstep." Far from laughter, his voice now resembles a hiss. My eyes widen in surprise. What bit _him_ in the butt? Ah well. I suppose it's my job to cheer him up. Besides, depression is contagious. I lift myself from the chair, walking over to stand opposite him in front of his desk. I crouch down to his level, my arms resting in a semi-folded position on the wooden surface, and my chin resting on my arms. Even with our heads a mere foot and a half apart at most, his eyes are still locked on the same spot on his paper, their icy blue depths in turmoil.

"Yuan?" I prompt, and his brow furrows in determination.

Apparently, he's trying extremely hard not to look at me.

"Yuan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say it, it slipped out..."

Though my voice is softer and more apologetic than it has been in quite a while, he still makes no response. But I could've sworn I saw him bite his lip slightly in concentration.

"Yuan, look at me." Far from my soft apologies, this is closer to a command. At last he lifts his gaze, and it meets mine with a weakness I've never seen before. Not from Yuan, at least. It took nearly a week just to get him to stop smirking at me.

"You've been down for the past three days, ever since they got here. You're no fun nowadays, not to mention you can't get any work done when you're like this. Now if you want, I can have them leave, if that's what it takes, but... I really don't want to have to do that. We need those extra people, especially one with the intelligence of Raine."

For a moment, his eyes hold a sort of puzzlement, though at what I'm not exactly sure. The bluenette hesitates, but slowly he nods.

"They stay. We need their help."

"Then you'll try to be happier?"

"I'll try." He smiles slightly, and a wide grin breaks out across my face.

Suddenly, the clock chimes once. I look to it's round face, and my eyes widen in surprise.

"It's already nine! I'm late! Raine's going to absolutely _kill_ me!" I yelp, leaping to my feet and hastening to the door. "Bye, Yuan!" I call over my shoulder as I leap from the room, sliding slightly with my momentum before my feet can get purchase on the floor and carry me left as planned. I'm laaate! The Professor's gonna kill me, or _worse_: LECTURE me!

* * *

I slide into the Planning Room, recently refurnished to fit it's name, five minutes later, bending over slightly to catch my breath.

"Sorry I'm late," I gasp between heavy breaths.

"You've been doing that a lot lately." comments Raine, smiling slightly despite herself.

"Well I was in speaking with our leader." I explain, making sure to establish that he remains the leader, no matter who else is here. I believe that's part of what's got him down, having Raine show up out of nowhere and take command of his mission of sorts.

"Good, _somebody_ needed to. Did you knock some sense into him?" comes Genis's voice from his spot draped over a chair in the corner.

"No!" I exclaim, a bit shocked at his question. "I didn't _knock some sense into him_, thank you very much. I talked to him, yes."

"And he's going to stop moping about?" questions Raine. I nod.

"He's going to try."

"Good, because when other people are sad it makes _me_ sad." smiles Colette from her spot, hovering unhelpfully over the plans.

"Okay, now that _that's_ settled, we can deal with more pressing matters. Like the battle at hand." came Raine, moving to stand beside said plans.

Colette looks shocked, and Genis leaps from his seat, mirroring the tiny angel's look.

"There's gonna be a _battle_?" she squeaks, her eyes rounded.

Raine sighs in exasperation.

"No, there will be no battle, not yet. By 'battle at hand', I meant the problem at hand. Please, try not to take things too literally." she snaps, slightly irritated at the lack of work being done. "Now if you'll please come here, Sheena, we might actually get something accomplished?"

I nod hastily, coming to stand next to her over a table. Upon seeing what the table holds, I can't help but laugh slightly. It's one of those models of the enemy base, just like in those stories of soldiers in the Kharlan War. Look, there's Triet, though it looks slightly different then I remember... And there's our Triet Base. And there's the Triet Ruins, and _there_... I look to a tall tower made of the blackest of stone, rising five or six inches into the air. There's the Citadel. The enemy. In reality, their tower would be five or six _hundred_ feet into the air, but this is a scale model, so such measurements can't be accomplished.

Suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck prickles. I suddenly have the acute feeling that I'm being watched... Looking up from the model, I see three pairs of blue eyes on me. One with confusion, one with curiosity, and one with amusement. I laugh nervously.

"Sorry, I was just thinking, this is just like the stories, y'know? The ones from the War, about-..." I pause, looking around at the others. "You guys don't care, do you?"

"No offense." Colette grins, and I can't help but grin in return.

"No offense taken, Colette."

"Now that we've successfully wasted more time than we can afford, can we _please_ get to work?"

That last one was Raine. And by the tone of her voice, if we don't comply, things could get dangerous.

"Of course!" I turn my attention to her, though I can't for the life of me force myself to stop grinning.

"Indeed, now I believe it would be quite conspicuous for a group of half-elven heroes and a ninja to be waltzing into Triet, especially since ninjas are nonexistent in this world, and all Triet's half-elves have likely joined the Elite by now. Therefore, I'm sending you alone, Sheena." Started Raine, and I nod, forcing the grin to tone down to a smile.

"What's my mission, Professor?"

"I want you to infiltrate Triet and unearth any information you can on the Elite, Triet's state of affairs, or the whereabouts of Lloyd. Use any sources that present themselves, though use discretion. Do nothing that will compromise your secrecy. I doubt you need be reminded, but it's highly crucial that you be discreet. If they discover you…" The half-elf trails off, her eyes clouded a moment, before she shakes her head to clear it and offers a slight smile. "You'll do fine."

"Heck yes I will! If things go wrong, I can always sic Shadow on 'em." I reply with a grin, but duck my head slightly in apology at Raine's admonishing look. "Only kidding, I swear."

"Ooh, can you send Gnome on them instead? He's really cute, with his bow and-" Colette bubbles, but Genis cuts her off.

"Or Efreet, summon Efreet!" He grins, leaping from his chair and raising his arms in the air in an impression of the Summon Spirit of Fire. "_BUUUUUURNNNNN!"_

"Hopefully, the only thing you'll have to summon is your cunning and speed," comments Raine dryly, and I nod.

"So I'm off?" I prompt, gesturing toward the door.

"Indeed, but do take this with you. It's got a few gels and a life bottle. In case of an emergency." Raine holds out a small pouch, and I tie it to hang from my ribbon at my side.

"Good luck, Sheena!" Grins Colette, waving a hand in goodbye.

"Yeah, kick some angel ass for me, kay?" Adds Genis, prompting a thwap upside his head from Raine's staff.

"Just... don't get hurt."

"Me? Hurt? Psh, not a chance!" I crow, though it's merely to lighten Raine's mood. She smiles slightly in return, and I take that as my cue to leave. I turn and stride from the door, though my anticipation of the mission to come is so high, it's a wonder I don't skip. I pause by the door to Yuan's office, wondering whether or not to tell him I'm leaving. After a moment, I shake my head, continuing on. I'll be back in a few hours, right? I mean, it's not like I'm gonna get killed out there... Right? No, of course not. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts...

I'm so deep in my thoughts that I don't notice the figure by the door until I pass him by, and his voice calls after me.

"What, no goodbye?" teases Yuan, and I turn to face him, smiling in slight embarrassment.

"Sorry, I was thinking and-"

"No problem. So what's she having you do this time?" He questions nonchalantly, but the lightness in his voice seems forced.

"Infiltrate Triet. Get info. The usual ninja act." I shrug, though on the inside my entrails are doing the conga. He nods.

"Just don't die. If you're gone for more than two days, I'm eating Genis."

"What kind of an effed up threat is _that_?" I ask, laughing slightly in amusement.

"Well it'll hurry you back, won't it?" A smirk plays around the corners of his lips.

"Why do _you_ care so much?" I tease right back, and his smirk falters a moment, though his answer doesn't skip a beat.

"Quite honestly, you're the only somewhat friend I have in the Base, or likely even in all of Sylvarant."

"Well, I feel quite _honored_."

"Just don't let it go to your head."

"I'll try, but I can't promise anything." I grin, and he laughs slightly.

"Good luck, Sheena."

"Good luck to you too, Yuan. And may luck keep them from murdering you in my absence." I tease, before turning and pushing open the grand front doors.

* * *

If I'd traveled with Lloyd, Colette, Genis, and Raine from the very beginning of their Journey of Regeneration, I'd likely be somewhat accustomed to the heat by now. But since I've arrived, I've only once ventured from the nice, air conditioned Triet Base, and even then it wasn't for hours at a time. Here I am, halfway across the Triet Desert, mirages of oasises swimming before my eyes from every direction, and Triet dancing from left to right before me. Okay, I admit. I might be a little bit delusional. But the heat does that to a person. Hell, pretty soon that nice, fluffy snow is going to start making snowmen all on it's own…

I shake my head violently, realizing what I just said. Snow! There's something wrong with this picture. Snow is cold, isn't it? Hot, cold, sand, snow... Ooh, I want to make a snowman too. I bend down to pick up a handful of snow, but it disappears at my touch. I try a different spot, but the same happens again. I rise to my feet, a frustrated pout on my face. Stupid snow. It won't let me pick it up, it runs away and giggles at the idiotic ninja who's to slow to catch it. The pout morphs into a sly grin as a plan formulates in my head. Turning and continuing on my way, I walk normally a few steps before throwing myself to the snow.

"AHA! I got you!" I cry triumphantly, only to realize the snow had once again moved to just past my reach. Whining slightly in frustration, I go to rise to my feet once more, but find that the world swims in circles around me when I do, taunting me just like the snow. I lay back down, the sand making a nice cushion for my head. I guess it won't hurt to stay here for a while... Just a little nap. Just a little bitty catnap. Who knows, maybe the snow will come closer while I'm asleep...

…

…

…

"Pact-maker…" I am in Flanoir when I hear the voice. It's soft, almost a whisper, and accompanied by the slightest of chills.

"Pact-maker." It comes again, this time more forceful. I look around in bewilderment, searching for the source of the voice, so familiar, yet so unearthly.

"Pact-maker!" It's getting hard to ignore the voice at this point, for each time I push it away it comes back stronger. Leave me alone, I want to cry out, let me enjoy my day in peace! But I find my mouth doesn't work, so I can yell no such thing.

"PACT-MAKER!" The force of the voice causes me to jump slightly in alarm, and the world of Flanoir blurs with a much less welcoming sand scene, both worlds fighting for my attention.

"Lemmegobatosleep..." I mumble, somewhat incoherently, at whatever the voice is, rolling on my side and curling up in a ball.

"SHEENA, SNAP OUT OF IT!" The voice is much clearer, and much harsher, almost like a physical blow. I snap upright, sand falling from where it had nestled in my hair. I find it's much cooler than before I fell asleep. And I find my mind is working clearer. I yelp slightly; in the desert, a nap like that could've killed me!

I suddenly sense a presence to my right. Slowly, I turn my head to face it, coming face to face with Celsius, the Summon Spirit of Ice. I blink twice. Somehow, this seems wrong, though my mind's still not clear enough to know quite why.

"Aren't you-... Did I sleep-summon?" I question, slightly discomfited.

"No, you just nearly killed yourself is all," huffs the woman, slightly miffed.

"I didn't mean to, I was delusional, I wasn't thinking straight-"

"Well _there's_ a shocker." comes her sarcastic voice once more. I duck my head in embarrassment.

Thanks, Cel. Thanks for rubbing it in.

"Why are you here, if I didn't summon you?"

"We Summon Spirits go through pact-makers like you go through clean socks. Most of them are full of shit, quite honestly, but the Law bonds us to them anyways. So when we find one we somewhat like, we take a keen personal interest in keeping them alive." She replied, her icy blue gaze on Sheena.

"If that was meant as a compliment, thanks. But what Law bonds you to them?" I look up to the Summon Spirit, cocking my head slightly.

"Summon Spirits aren't _free_, y'know. We're more trapped than any and all of you mortals combined. We are forced to live in our Seal in spirit form for tens, maybe even hundreds of years until someone wishes a pact, then we have to either kick their wimpy asses or, in your case, lose. If we lose to them, we are bound to whatever vow they make, only to emerge when summoned. It is the Law." Celsius explains, though by the look on her face she looked about to tell the Law where to go.

"If that's the Law, how are you here? You're 'only to emerge when summoned', right?"

"All rules are doomed to be bent," she winks.

"Then why can't you break the law that bonds you to every Summoner?"

"There is a difference between bending the rules and breaking them. To refuse a pact when they have made an appropriate vow and proven victorious in a fight would be to shatter the Law into pieces." She looks worried, as if wondering how dangerous my questions were going to get.

"Who made the Law, Celsius?"

I couldn't resist. Just one last question.

"I cannot speak her name," the Summon Spirit said softly.

Her? HER! It was a FEMALE that did this to them! Sheesh, and I thought us women had more sense than that.

I open my mouth to release a new stream of questions, but at Celsius's slightly troubled look I close it again. We sit in silence a moment, before she extends a hand.

"Come on, you're on a mission, aren't you? It's time you get going."

I reach up to accept her aid, but when my hand touches hers a shock jolts my hand, and I jerk it away in surprise. Hesitantly, I reach up again, this time ignoring the shock and grasping her hand in my own. I feel her fingers close around my wrist like dry ice, so cold it almost burns. Yes, that's what the shock was. It wasn't electricity, but a mixture of extreme chill and mana entering my hand. When I'm standing on my own two legs once more, she releases my hand, and I feel somewhat weaker, without her cold and mana-filled touch.

"You'll find that you're fully energized," she remarks. "No matter how much ninja magic you performed before your little deathtrip, you are as renewed as if you spent a night in a luxury inn."

After a moment of self-assessing, I realize she's right. My eyes widen. Summon Spirits truly ARE incredible, if they can re-energize someone with a single touch!

I look across the large amount of desert I have left to cover, and get a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Err, Celsius? Would you very much hate accompanying me to Triet? It's extremely hot out here," I start, at which point Celsius snickers. Okay, I admit, that wasn't the brightest thing to say. "And I want to be thinking my clearest."

She considers a moment, before nodding.

"Agreed."

And with that we set off across the sands. Well, sorta. We only get about ten feet before we hear some high-pitched giggling and arguing. Sylph.

"Sylph." Celsius echoes my thoughts, her tone giving me the impression that she doesn't think too highly of the sprites either.

"Sylph, we know you're there, you can come out now." I call, though unsure of exactly where the childlike Summon Spirits were hidden. I hear a hiss of 'Look what you fools did!' before the three step from behind a dune to our right.

"We're sorry, Pact-maker. We, like Celsius, were concerned about your safety," explains Sephie, her sword tied deftly where her wings met, blade-out so as not to cut either wing.

"Though I told you three to stay behind, did I not? Or do you not think I can handle a simple situation myself?" hisses Celsius, and she glares from one sprite to the next, as if deciding which to strangle first.

"Nope, not at all." chirps Fairess, earning glares from the other two, though after that momentary glare they look to the ground guiltily.

"Sorry, Celsius, we just wanted to make sure we were here, just in case." attempts Yutis, though the Summon Spirit of Ice regards her no less spitefully. I know that blood —or mana— will be shed if I don't step in and stop this soon, so with an apprehensive gulp I step between the ice maiden and the sprites and clearing my throat nervously.

"Thank you, Sylph, but I believe things are fine now. You're dismissed, do what you want." I smile slightly, and they exchange glances, at last nodding.

"As you wish." they chime in unison, and I turn to Celsius.

"Come on, let's go. I'm on a mission, remember?"

She takes one last loathing look at the Summon Spirits of Wind, before nodding.

"As you wish."

* * *

We didn't take into consideration the sheer number of angels that might be posted at the gate. We should have. No less than six full-fledged thinking, talking angels are posted on either side of the gate, as Celsius and I soon realize as we hide behind a dune not far away.

"Unless there's another way in, we can't proceed."

"There _has_ to be another way in. If I'm gonna let this stop me, I'll eat Genis myself!"

Despite the somewhat creeped-out look from Celsius —I suppose I should have explained the significance of eating the small half-elf _before_ I made the comment— I didn't bother to amend my words. She seemed to take it as a sign of determination.

"There's surely another way in. There has to be." she states, and I nod.

"Around the back."

And without another word, we set off. The footing is harsh, especially with us unbalanced in our forward crouch. Well, _I'm_ unbalanced, I suppose Celsius is finding this laughably easy. As soon as we're out of sight of the guards, we move into the shade of Triet's massive wall.

"This wall ends right around this bend." I inform the ice maiden, recalling how it opens up to an oasis. When said 'bend' is turned, however, we come face to face with more harsh tan stone.

"Check that. It _did_ end right around that bend." I correct myself, though I need not have said it, for it was quite obvious that it no longer ends here.

"Then we go on." She replies simply, and I nod, continuing along the wall.

Maybe five minutes later I come to another bend. Triet sure seems a helluva lot bigger from the outside. I turn it, continuing along the wall. There's got to be SOME way in...

"Pact-maker, back here!" Celsius hisses from behind me, and I whirl to find her facing a blank patch of wall just inside the corner.

"There's nothing there."

"Hmm, I see their ploy worked, the trick of light does seem to fool the average human," She continues as if talking to herself, gazing at the wall where she stands. Snorting indignantly, I hurry back to where she stands. But to my dismay, the closer I get, the less solid the wall seems. Celsius is right! A small gap, barely larger than myself, has been carved crudely through the wall, two mirrors placed to give it the appearance of a normal wall.

"Celsius, with all due respect... I hate you." I tease, and she grins.

"You're welcome!"

I grin as well, before slipping through the gap and into Triet. I feel Celsius follow close behind me, her arm brushing mine and sending a chill down my spine. If this is what it's like touching Celsius, would it burn to touch Efreet? Would it shock me if I touched Volt? Would I be depressed if I touched Shadow? My eyes widen and I snigger. What'd happen if I touch Maxwell? Would I start popping out babies? Note to self: Avoid physical contact with Summon Spirit of Birth.

Though I may sic him on Zelos next time I see him, just to see what happens. Half redhead, half old man, that makes one hell of an ugly baby.

Celsius raises an eyebrow, eyeing me skeptically, but I shake my head. It's the sort of thing that only I'd find funny, and I'm not going to bother the Summon Spirit of Ice with it.

I take in my surroundings. From what I can see, I'm guessing we're right behind the Fortune Teller's hut. I cock my head slightly in thought. Actually, the Fortune Teller wouldn't be a half bad place to ask. I gesture for Celsius to follow, and I creep around the tent, peering out for any sign of angels. Finding none, I slide into the Fortune Teller's tent, seating myself opposite the woman. She looks up, piercing me with her deep green eyes. I try my hardest to keep gazing right back.

First, to find out whose side she's on.

"Do you believe in angels?" I ask, my voice slow. This is a code that Yuan and I have used, for those who oppose the Elite usually answer with a fervent no.

"This tent is ruled by no one." She replies, offering a weak half-smile, and I nod, gesturing Celsius to come sit beside me. The Fortune Teller eyes her curiously, obviously sensing a large amount of mana radiating from the young girl before her, yet the Summon Spirit of Ice had faded her silver skin to a light peach in the time she'd hung back, so she looked as normal as any other being. After a moment of scrutinizing the fair-boned woman beside me, she shakes her head, as if dismissing her suspicions as crazy.

"As it should be." I nod in approval. "We are from the Renegades-" Yes, by the way, we're still calling them the Renegades. "-and if you tell anybody, **anybody** of this meeting, unless otherwise specified to do so, you'll envy those the angels killed. Clear?"

I suppose I was a little harsh, but I can't take any chances. A single mistake could be the end of us all. The Fortune Teller pauses a moment, as if deciding whether to tolerate such threats, before nodding wearily.

"Good. Now what can you tell me about the angel group, the Elite?" I question, my eyes fixed on hers. She shudders slightly at the name, enough to give me a good idea of how they're treating Triet.

"I'm sorry to say that I don't think I'll be of much use on this topic, but I'll tell you all I know. There are twenty of them, each stronger than twenty men combined. The source of their powers is unknown, and they have been witnessed performing elemental attacks unseen before. They do not, however, seem to know any angelic attacks as did Cruxis. Their leader is a man called Letram, though he rarely leaves his tower. He's easily distinguishable from the others; he's the only one with wings of nearly white light. His hair is sea-foam-green, and he's got a strange air about him."

"Whoa, stop there. We've got far more reliable sources than you telling us the leader has black spiky hair and wings of deep blue. Does that tempt you to correct your story?"

"Do you question a fortune teller?" she snaps, and I close my mouth. "Letram never emerges from the tower. Unless your sources snuck into the highest tower, which I doubt beyond question, I believe their information is invalid. I do, however, know which man you're referring to. The man of raven hair and navy wings is called Maddox, and he's Letram's general of sorts. Letram is the brains, Maddox is the brawn. Maddox is the one who carries out all the evil plans. If you intend to shut down the Elite for good, I say you need to destroy them both, but make Letram your priority. He's the beating heart keeping the Elite thriving, so to speak."

I pause, processing all the information I've just been fed. After a moment, I nod. On to question two.

"What is Project H.E.A.T.?"

"Project H.E.A.T. is the Elite's plan to gain the powers once possessed by Mithos Yggdrasil, and in turn to dominate the world. To do this they must come in possession of one who bears the Eternal Sword of legend, one with the goddess inside, one with intelligence unmatched, and one with the right of the Pact, along with a few items of extremely rare property. They intend to create some sort of magitechnology, though I am unsure what as of yet."

"I bear the right of the pact, and they're never gonna get their grubby little hands on me. But... one with intelligence unmatched? Who could that be? It could be anyone, couldn't it? As could one with the goddess inside, that saying generally means one who is loyal to Martel. Oh well, no time to worry about that. The one who bears the Eternal Sword is Lloyd... Fortune Teller, where is Lloyd Irving?" But her gaze darts to a spot behind us instead.

"Danger approaches..." Her voice is now fearful, and she watches the flap of the tent with a haunted look. I whirl around to face the entrance, as does Celsius. A woman flings herself through the opening, out of breath. I draw my cards, eyeing her warily.

"They're coming!" She cries, her voice out of breath.

"I knew they wouldn't let me go unnoticed for long. You two, out the back!" the Fortune Teller hisses, her eyes wide with fear.

"No! We'll fight them! We'll drive them off. Then you can escape with us." I reply, turning to the exit.

"Martel be with you!" she calls softly after us, and I step through the door. Five angels are trooping around the oasis toward the tent. I gulp slightly. I myself told the others that even one was more than a match for one of us. With Celsius by my side, we may be able to hold them off, but to _defeat_ them? Despite this, I put on a confidant front, standing tall between them and the tent. Celsius looks at me questioningly, but nods slightly in understanding and places herself beside me, drawing herself up to full height as well.

The angels halt before us.

"Out of the way, harlots!" demands one near the center, drawn a little farther forward then the other four. His hair is black and kept in unruly spikes, and his eyes hold a spark of malice. Maddox. Wait a second. _HARLOTS!_ Boy, you've got hell to pay now!

"What did you call us?" I demand, drawing my cards. I feel Celsius's anger rise as well, the aura of mana about her churning in aversion.

"Harlots. Suitable name, by the looks of your clothes." sneers the raven-haired angel to the leader's right. I step forward, glaring fiercely.

"For your information, these are the traditional robes of the Mizuho culture, and I-" I cut off my rant as Celsius grabs my sleeve. "Oops."

"Mizuho? You're-" Starts one of the angels, but Maddox cuts him off.

"Boys, meet Sheena Fujibayashi. She's been giving us a hard time for quite a while." His eyes are narrowed, and they gaze into mine. I gaze back unflinchingly. You don't scare me."

"Cel, meet Maddox. He's an ugly git who thinks he's smart, just 'cause he weaseled his way into Letram's left pocket." I tilt my head slightly toward Celsius, as if this was addressed to her, and not just an attempt to piss off the angel. His eyes narrow further, and he hisses in fury.

"Kill her. Kill them both."

I draw my cards fully, and Celsius abandons her peach-skinned disguise.

"Boys, meet your maker."

They draw their swords and charge forward. I draw my cards, swinging them at the nearest angel. The redheaded angel dodges to the left, swinging his sword at my neck, which I duck under, kicking him in the midsection and swiping with my cards once more.

"Pyre Seal!" I cry, and the angel staggers back, only to be thrown back farther by a blade of ice from Celsius. Immediately another takes his place, this one obviously learning from the first's mistakes. I swipe first once, then twice with my cards, and he dodges them both, swinging his sword at my neck like the first did. I duck again, but he's ready for it, swinging out a leg to swipe my legs out from under me. I fall to the dirt with a harsh thud, and I see a glint of silver sword torpedoing at my head. Yelping in alarm, I roll to the side, and the sword impales the dirt where my forehead was just moments ago.

"CYCLONE SEAL!" I yell hastily, a harsh wind nearly blowing him from the ground, and I take this distraction as a chance to leap to my feet.

"Freeze Lancer!" Celsius cries from beside me, and the angel is harshly rained upon by arrow-shaped ice chunks the size of chakram. He cries out and jumps back, only to be replaced once more... This time by Maddox.

"He's mine." I hiss to my partner, and she nods, moving to try and hold off the other four.

Maddox sneers, and lunges at me with his sword, with speed enough that I only narrowly dodge. He changes his blade's course mid-lunge, however, sweeping it toward me while I'm unbalanced from the dodge, and this time I can't dodge fast enough. Within seconds, blood from my side soaks through my robe, and I hiss in pain. Gritting my teeth, I force myself to continue to fight, swinging my cards at him in a vicious swipe. To my dismay, he swings his sword as well, the razor-sharp tip slicing my cards clean down the middle. Now lessened to useless pieces of paper, they fall forlornly to the ground. I am helpless.

"Now you've REALLY pissed me off." I growl, searching desperately for something I could use to my aid, all the while dodging his swipes and attempting to ignore the pain stabbing at my side. I feel something solid under my ribbon and whip it out triumphantly, now wielding... a fan? What use is a fan? It's the fan that I got when I came of age in Mizuho, as was custom for all young ladies. But of all times to find it, I have to have it in a struggle for my life? I unfold it, thinking urgently for a way in which it could help me. Suddenly, I hear a ripping sound, and Maddox's angel-crafted sword comes racing through the tear in the fan and coming at my face. I grin, despite myself. For an angel, he's a fool.

"HA!" I laugh triumphantly, for when the sword is halfway through the fan I snap it closed, twisting the base with all my might. The sword is jerked from his unsuspecting hand, and I catch the hilt, allowing the fan to slide from the end. I now brandish his sword. His look of dismay fades to a smirk.

"Clever little harlot, aren't we?" He sneers, pulling another sword from his belt. I hold mine unsteadily, for this is the first time I've even _touched_ a sword. Better late then never. He swings while I'm off guard, and I barely jerk the sword up to block it, the clash of metal ringing out through the oasis before he moves off into his next lunge, followed by a swipe and a thrust. Each one comes quicker than the last, and I find it harder and harder to find the speed to defend. If it keeps going like this, how am I to make any attacks! I glance helplessly to Celsius, to find her in over her head with the four angels she's holding off, a white essence leaking from her many wounds. She's bleeding _mana_?

I suddenly find myself thrown to the ground, a heavy foot on my chest. No! How could I let myself get distracted? I can't die here, I can't! Yet he puts more and more weight on the foot, and I find it harder and harder to gasp for breath. A thought comes to me. I wonder if Yuan likes Genis better fried, barbecued, or roasted? I'd laugh, but I have no air to even breathe. Maddox rests the tip of his sword on the center of my throat.

"Say goodnight, harlot." He sneers, but as my vision blurs from lack of oxygen, I hear a harsh thump, and he falls to the ground, unconscious. Fairess floats above him, having used her shield as a club from behind to knock him out.

"Goodnight, harlot." I smirk, though my attempts to get up are hindered by the fact that I'm still incredibly dizzy. When my vision clears, I see Sylph aiding Celsius in the driving back of the other four angels until, at last, they lay unconscious on the ground.

The Fortune Teller hurries from the entrance to her tent, her eyes wide at the angels left unconscious on the ground.

"Hurry! They may come to any minute now, and the farther from Triet we are, the better." I hiss, so as not to aid in their awakening, and the Summon Spirits of Wind and Ice, hastily pick their way over to my side. At a jog, I lead the group over to the hole carved through the wall, and we squeeze through it to relative safety.

"Sylph, -" I start, but Yutis winks.

"We're one step ahead of you, pact-maker!" squeaks Fairess, and as the Fortune Teller, Celsius and I step back away from the hole, Sylph conjures up a heavy wind and fills it to the top with sand. This being done, Celsius whirls on Sylph, her eyes ablaze.

"Didn't we tell you we didn't need your help?" she seethes, apparently extremely upset at being proven wrong.

"We kinda followed you anyways, just in case we needed to save your skins." Fairess chirps, and the other two nod hesitantly.

"Next time, listen to your pact-maker!" hisses the ice maiden, glaring at each one in turn.

"Celsius, be reasonable. If we weren't there, Sheena would have had her throat slit, and you wouldn't have been able to do anything about it." Sephie reasons, earning another hiss of distaste from the Summon Spirit of Ice.

"We're not saying you're inadequate, we're saying there were too damn many angels for you to deal with on your own! Can you swallow your effing pride for a minute and _think about it_?" This is Yutis. Though one could probably tell by her slightly cruel, blunt answer. Celsius opens her mouth to reply again, but shuts it, smoldering in silence. I shiver slightly; mana is still leaking from her wounds, and her mana is of the essence of frigid chill. Yet I keep my mouth shut, hoping that the Summon Spirits will somehow manage to work things out without my interference.

"I suppose you're right." Celsius admits grudgingly, grumbling something under her breath that I'm not sure I want to hear. I can guess it's something along the lines of 'You wait 'till Fenrir gets ahold of you, you vermin.'

"Of course we are." Fairess pipes in. Leave it to her to say what'll likely piss Celsius off more. The ice maiden clenches and unclenches her fists a few times, but holds her tongue.

The Fortune Teller has been watching this silently from the sidelines this whole time, wide-eyed, regarding both the Summon Spirits and myself with equal awe and curiosity.

"So you're-" she starts, speaking to Celsius, but she cuts off. "And you, you're-" This was directed at me. At last she points at Sylph. "Those are Summon Spirits, there's no other explanation." Celsius rolls her eyes slightly, but I nod.

"My name is Sheena Fujibayashi of Mizuho, the Mystical Ninja Village of Tethe'alla. I am a Summoner as well as ninja, and I uphold pacts with all ten Summon Spirits. This is Celsius, Summon Spirit of Ice-"

"I _knew_ there was something different about you, the moment you stepped into my tent!"

"-and this is Sephie, Yutis, and Fairess, collectively 'Sylph', the Summon Spirits of Wind." Fairess waves energetically in greeting, Yutis raises a hand for the same purpose, and Sephie merely nods in acknowledgement.

I allow her to process this information, though a nervous glance is sent over my shoulder at the sand-filled gap through which we escaped. I wonder how long it'll take before the angels awaken? I know that Maddox was hit pretty hard; Fairess's shield withstood even the most powerful of my attacks, when we fought Sylph for their powers, so it's harder than most rock. It'll be a while before he comes to, I know that much. But what about the others? I didn't see how hard they were out, so they could come to any time from five minutes from now to five hours from now. If they wake up before Maddox, will they wait for him to awaken? Will they take him back to the Citadel, or will they pursue us without him? So many questions left unanswered, but I'm not gonna stick around long enough to get them answered.

"As much as I'd love to sit around and chat, we're in an extremely dangerous position right now." I turn to the Fortune Teller. "North of here, past the desert, at the very tip of the continent is a civilization called Iselia. Go there. Tell them the Chosen sent you, you'll be welcomed like a hero. They'll hide you, I swear it."

"You know the _Chosen_?" she gasps.

"We've met." I reply, smiling slightly in recollection of yesterday's pillow fight. Yesterday, this morning, even the sneaking into Triet seems like days ago. With a pang, I realize how much I want to see Colette again, and her contagious smiling. Yuan as well, with our everlasting jokes. Even Raine, who seems a bit cold toward me lately, I miss her as well.

I realize the Fortune Teller remains standing here, gazing at me in uncertainty.

"Go, go. If they don't believe you, show them this." I instruct, sliding my fingers under my ribbon just left of where it ties in the back and feeling around a bit. My fingers soon come in contact with something warm, and I smile, pulling it from it's hiding spot and handing it to the woman. She looks down at the object, a glowing pink feather, in awe.

"This is-"

"A feather from the left wing of the Chosen of Mana." I finish her sentence. She gazes at me a moment, as if watching my face for a hint of untruth, before nodding.

"May luck be with you."

"You as well, and thank you so much for your aid." She smiles, tears rimming her eyes. She appears on the verge of hugging me, but decides against it, turning and setting off across the desert instead.

"I suppose we need to head back toward the base." I say. The others nod to various degrees, and I turn to set off.

"Pact-maker?" A hesitant high-pitched voice, obviously Fairess, requests my attention before I take a single step. I turn back around.

"Yes?"

"The sword," explains Sephie, and nods toward my hand. I look down to the appendage in question, and find that it remains clasped around Maddox's first sword. I lift my hand, drawing the weapon up closer... Though the blade is stained crimson —I cringe as I realize that the blood is likely mine— I can tell with a single glance that the blade is plated in the finest of black silver, though by the feel of it, the center is made of onyx. Onyx is the strongest material known to Symphonia, though it is extremely expensive and hard to work with. A black diamond is mounted on the hilt. No wonder this sword could slice through the protective aura around my cards. Diamonds are said to promote invincibility, and if the blade is infused with a mana core, it could cut through any mana shield, probably even Guardian. I allow my arm to hang by my side once more.

"I keep it." I declare. The four Summon Spirits eye me in surprise.

"Oh really?" Celsius is the one to speak, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm without a weapon, am I not? And I can't just wander on back to Mizuho anytime soon to get new cards, now can I? I think not. So this sword is now mine, no matter who it used to belong to." I declare, my gaze defiant. They eye me a moment longer, before, one by one, they nod in acceptance. Celsius looks to the others, and they nod.

"Let's get away from Triet." She suggests, and I agree, looking to Sylph for any clue on what they and Celsius just corresponded about. They all hold secretive smiles, but they shake their heads, refusing to give even a hint. Oh well. At least it's better than Celsius wishing to murder them like she wished a couple of minutes ago. So, clueless and curious, I set out, the others following close behind me.

Despite Celsius's chill and Sylph's breeze, the walk still has me sweating before long. Probably because of the difficulty of the terrain. But I quite honestly don't care _why_ I'm sweating, so I'm not going to wonder about that any further.

When Triet fades into the distance behind us and the Base can be seen again, I sense the Summon Spirits halt. Stopping, I turn to face them, my gaze questioning. Celsius looks to Sylph, then steps forward, extending a silver hand.

"Give it to me," she softly demands, and, confused, I hold out the sword. She takes it in her hand, gives it a couple of expert twirls, and plunges it into the sand. I cock my head in puzzlement. When she draws it once more, the blood has been wiped from it's surface, leaving it looking as good as new. She then holds it point-up and places a hand on the blade. Sylph steps forward and each places a hand on the blade as well. Their eyes are closed, and they seem to be murmuring something, though whether they're all saying the same thing is beyond me.

After a moment, however, a flash of red light erupts to my left, and Efreet appears in it's wake. He as well steps forward and places one of his huge hands on the blade. A flash of blue, and Undine appears as well, joining the others. Gnome, Shadow, Aska, and Luna appear as well, joining the other six Summon Spirits. Suddenly, an electrically charged flash of yellow. Volt. I shudder slightly, remembering my unsuccessful first attempt to form a pact with him. He moves toward the sword as well... I can't help but feel a twinge of amusement among my confusion. Now tell me, how will the handless Volt go about joining the others? There's no room for the entire ball of electricity to come forward and touch it. He seems to realize this as well and, with a slight look of annoyance, a purple translucent limb extends from his spherical form, looking about the consistency of an Apple Gel, and slowly makes it's way toward the sword. The others look just as surprised as I am; they've obviously never seen Volt do this either. Silently, they part slightly to make room for the lightning orb's newfound appendage. It touches the blade as well, which by now is glowing with mana.

One last flash of light, this one colorless, marks the arrival of Origin. He steps forward, drawing his four swords and placing each sword's tip against the tip of mine. When the last sword is in place, a light far brighter than the others obscures the Summon Spirits and everything around them from view. I close my eyes against it, else it likely would have blinded me, and wait for the harsh light against my eyelids to fade. After what seems like forever, it does, and I hesitantly part one eyelid. The Summon Spirits are standing before me, Origin holding out my sword to me. But it's different, _changed_ somehow. It looks... duller. It no longer gleams like the sun, nor does it appear very sharp. I can't help but feel a bit disappointed; I liked my impressive shiny sword...

Taking it my hands nonetheless, I examine it carefully. After a moment, I laugh in relief. How could I have been so _stupid_? It's in a sheath! I attach the sheath to my ribbon, drawing the sword and holding it before me unsteadily. I'm gonna need a loooot of practice. Even with my extreme inexperience, I can tell that this is no ordinary sword. Even before Celsius got ahold of it, I could feel that it held powers I've never even _dreamed_ of. Now... with both hands on the handle, I can feel the powers of ice, fire, electricity, and so many others coursing through the blade.

"It is done." Origin confirms. "Now you can fell any foe with ease, for your sword holds each element, and thus holds the element of your enemy's weakness. And if it tastes your own blood on it's blade, it will call us to your aid. "

"Be warned, however: Your sword channels powers other than our own. You acquired it from an extremely powerful angelic being." cautions Undine from her place near the right of the group.

"So you don't know how he supped it up before you got it. So be careful, got it?" adds Gnome, who's floating in mid-air just behind Origin.

"_Clack-clackity-clack-click-clack"_ Volt speaks up from his spot next to Gnome, his appendage slowly drawing back into his body. I no longer struggle to understand him, however. '_Use it to strike down those who oppose you._'

"Thank you, thank you all." My words don't even begin to express how I feel, but I don't intend to make a fool of myself before the Summon Spirits. "I will use it to strike down it's previous owner, as well as all the angels who reside with them."

Origin nods, and slowly fades from view. Volt, Gnome, and Undine follow suit.

"Though they are angels, they have a darkness in their hearts. They fear the light, pact-maker. They fear the light…" Luna softly offers her words, before climbing atop Aska. The pair fade from the scene as Shadow steps forward, reaching out a hand. I extend my hand as well, and our fingers meet.

"… _luuuck…"_ he hisses, his icy blue eyes meeting mine. His word echoes through my head, however, giving me the feeling that only I could hear it. Before I can ask, he begins to fade away, leaving me standing with my arm held out for no reason. I hastily withdraw it, only to hear his voice in my head once more. "_...giiiift…"_ I look around me in surprise, but he's gone. '_What's going on?'_ I question in my head, feeling rather foolish in doing so. "…_liiiink…"_ Grinning slightly, I realize what he had done. When our hands had met, he'd somehow made a connection, so we can talk in our heads. I'm not even gonna _try_ and find out how. Summon Spirits can do things beyond one's wildest dreams.

I'm once more acutely aware of being stared at. Why does this always happen to me? I look to the remaining Summon Spirits, which consists of Celsius, Sylph, and Efreet. Efreet and Celsius are staying pointedly apart, I notice, and I sigh in exasperation. Is there _anyone_ Celsius gets along with? Aside from me? Heh, probably not. They're all regarding me warily.

"Not that random laughing to one's self isn't completely and totally normal, but..." started Celsius, though her point was made and she didn't need or intend to finish.

"Shadow, he's..." But I don't know how to finish without sounding like a complete and total crazy. To my surprise, Sylph exchange shocked looks among themselves.

"Can you think to him, pact-maker?" Sephie softly asks, and a look of recognition dawns on Celsius and Efreet's faces as well. Eyes wide, I nod.

"Shadow is... a different sort of soul. He doesn't think like the rest of us. What's logical to us is lunacy to him. He's essentially alone... None of the rest of us can get to him. So if he bound your mind to his..." Celsius trails off, glancing to Efreet.

"I believe it's Shadow's business, and we're best not to question him about it when we return," the fire demon advises, and the other four nod.

'_So you can hear me, no matter where I am?'_ I tentatively reach out with my mind once more. "_...yessss..."_ comes his whispered reply.

"I apologize for the heat you were forced to travel in, pact-maker. I am angered by these beings who call themselves holy, and my heat is the best I can do to hinder their plans. Summon me when you next travel, and I will cool things for you," Efreet offers contritely. I nod, and, satisfied, he fades into disappearance as well.

"I guess it's time to continue on back to the base?" Yutis questions, and Celsius nods.

"Of course, no use wasting more time. The sun is beginning to fall, and dangerous things come out at night," the ice maiden confirms.

"Wait. I think you guys had better let me continue from here. I'll be fine, it's not that far left, maybe ten minutes at max. Plus, if you four get close enough to the base, there's a half-elven scholar in there that would give an arm and a leg to experiment on you."

Fairess's eyes widen, and with a quick 'I'm gone' she hastily disappears.

"Yeah, me too. C'mon, Sephie." Yutis agrees, and after quick 'goodbye's, just Celsius and I are left.

"When you go to fell Maddox at last, take me with you. He has a debt to be repaid," she demands, and I nod. She grins in a somewhat sinister fashion. "Goodbye, pact-maker."

"'Till next time." I agree, and she slowly fades away as well.

I look around me. It's slightly lonely without Sylph and Celsius here, even with their constant bickering. Still, it's not that long left to go.

So with my sword at my waist and thoughts racing through my head, I start off back to Triet Base, where the others are waiting.

* * *

**Spiritua: **Hehehehe. Here goes. We're holding a mini-contest. In your review of Chapter 4, tell us who you think will end up together in the end. Remember, even if a certain pairing has the most hints in this early, that doesn't mean it's gonna end up that way. –wink-

**D-wings:** Spiritua, you make me look bad! If we don't stop, we'll end up like Rose-Wisteria who isn't happy unless her chapters are twenty pages long. Blah:P


	5. Reap The Rewards

A/N: I know this meager chapter is not nearly enough to make up for the long wait, but that's what you've got Spiritua for! She's the one with all the ideas, anyhow… ((nervous laugh)). Anyway, near the end of the chapter there will be some fanservice for the male readers. Next time it'll be one for the ladies! Though how I'll do that I have no idea…1629 words long.

I sit, curled up in Yuan's desk chair as I wait for Sheena to come back. It had been several hours since I last saw her heading off on her own through the Triet Desert, and I was worried. Very worried. Of course I know Sheena is a competent fighter, especially after seeing her tracking down and forcing each of the summon spirits to bend to her will, one by one, but still. That was in a group of eight people.

Absently, I flip through one of Yuan's books. I'd read it before, several times over, the last time I had been here. It was an account of the Kharlan war- the best example of such I had ever found. And there it had been, safely nestled in his private library. He offered to give it to me when I left, but I refused. I never wanted any of his gifts.

I hear his footsteps. Much too heavy to be my brother, and Sheena never made any noise at all. Colette, more obvious about her concern for Sheena, was waiting right by the main door for when Sheena would return. Besides, I still remember the sound of his militaristic, purposeful stride.

Quickly kicking off my shoes, I tilt my head back and relax into a defenseless position, letting my hair cover my partially closed eyes and slowing my breathing. When he walks in he stops at the door before slowly shutting the sliding door closed and moving across the room, sighing softly. I resist the urge to grin- he knows his chair is my favorite place to read. Why is he surprised that the ice queen wasn't thoughtful enough to nod off in another location? Although he'll probably notice the opened bottle of his (very nice and expensive) wine, brought to calm my nerves as I waited for the ninja in our employ.

Please, Yuan, take your reports and leave. I don't want to face you yet.

Instead, he steps closer, taking his gauntlets off and putting them on the desk. I feel his cold fingers brush against mine as he slips the book from my hands and puts it on the desk. Leave. _Leave_.

But this confrontation was long overdue. I shift in the seat, opening my eyes to stare at the plush carpet. "Yuan…" I said, sitting up. He's surprised for a moment but he manages to hide it all behind a smug smile.

"So you were awake," he said.

"That, or I suddenly developed a habit of talking in my sleep," I say, sighing.

He looks at the bottle of wine, the ends of his mouth turning down in an almost pitiful frown. "That was expensive," he said.

"I know. I helped you pick it out, remember?"

"Oh." He stops. "I'd forgotten that."

He clears his throat and I look away, trying not to smile. It was just so hard for me not to like him, but that was exactly what I was trying to avoid. I had wanted to become closer to him, but he wanted us to be _too_ close for my comfort. He sits on top of his desk, letting his legs dangle lazily over the edge and looks down at me. The soft mechanical sounds of the air conditioning unit and the rustle of papers bring back memories of hours spent like this, sitting like we are now.

"So what did you want to say?" he asks, taking my book- I mean, _his_ book- and idly flipping through the pages. I involuntarily twitch at his callous treatments of such a precious artifact but bite my tongue.

"I'm sorry?"

"Heh," he traces a finger over one of the illustrations in the book. "Sorry? What do you mean, 'sorry'? For the wine?"

Do I have to spell it out? Or is he testing me somehow?

Or am I hopelessly paranoid, commitment-phobic, and untrustworthy?

"I'm sorry if I ever gave you the impression I had romantic feelings for you."

Yuan's face goes blank. He doesn't look away from the book. Perhaps he found enlightenment between its pages. "Why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?"

"I don't know… Because we're alone for the first time since I came back." I get up and sit next to him on the desk, grasping his free hand, my grip tight and painful. "And I didn't want to bring it up in front of Genis or any of the others." I consider his pale face thoughtfully. "And I believe I might be drunk."

He glances over at the half-empty wine bottle and I rest my head on his shoulder. Damn it, Professor, that's the type of thing that makes him fall in love with you. Stop it.

"Raine…"

I'm making him uncomfortable. "I'm sorry," I say again, running my thumb across the back of his hand. I can't help it. I'm affectionate when I'm tipsy.

"It's done, Raine." He manages to get his hand free and puts it in his lap. He moves to leave, but this doesn't feel done to me. I grab onto his shoulder, trying to pull him back.

"Yuan, wait-" My fingers fumble and I miss, latching instead onto his cape and almost choking him as he sits back down on the desk with a _thump_ of armor against wood.

"Raine!" he hisses. "Let _go_. Maybe we'll finish this conversation when you're not inebriated."

"I'm only…" I draw back, my hand held up to my chest. Clearing my throat, I press my hand against my forehead. "No… You're right." The Professor Ice Queen admits defeat. Gasp. Goddess, I hate myself as I reach over, scooting onto his lap and wrapping my arms around his neck. "I'm sorry," I say again, hoping he doesn't think I'm a sappy drunk. I'm usually a happy drunk, honest. He doesn't seem too repulsed by me, though. After a moment of his usual tensing up at the almost alien feel of another person he reluctantly slides his arms around my waist to hug me back, his cheek pressed against the base of my neck and my forehead buried in his hair.

Stop right there.

If you would please take a moment to try to freeze the mental image of us embracing on top of his desk, the Professor would greatly appreciate it. This, students, is a prime example of how I made him fall in love with me. I'm too pushy. I force my presence on other people. I didn't mean it to end up that way, though, I honestly only meant to be a friend to him. It never crossed my mind that he might want something more- who would want any more from someone like me?

He does, apparently. He still does. But after a moment he drew back like a startled rabbit, his eyes widening as he turned to the door. I blink, curious to know what his enhanced angelic senses had noticed before I had, and my questions were answered when the door slid open and the smiling faces of Colette and Sheena were revealed.

"Sheena's back!" Colette squeals, just in case any of us hadn't noticed. She has both her arms wrapped tightly around the ninja's shoulders and her bright pink wings are flapping with all the power of a hummingbird on a sugar rush. I slide off the desk, one glass of Yuan's wine still in hand as I walk over to the girls.

"Mission successful?" I ask, aware of Yuan trying to look busy reading a book in the other corner of the room.

Sheena nodded, "I've got some important information, and a new toy." She grins, putting one hand to a sleek black sword I hadn't noticed until right then.

"Excellent." I smile thinly at her as Colette only squeezes her tighter. "I knew I could count on you."

"Well, duh. I'm glad you realize ninjas are ultimately more useful than magic users." Sheena must have the award for Best Smug Smile of the Year, even though she was still blushing at my compliment. Ah, my wine-filled head is giving me an idea now. A malicious idea to get the grin off her face. And I had the perfect excuse for it too- I was drunk.

"I see. For such an excellent job, you deserve a reward," I tell her, prying Colette's fingers from the purple fabric of Sheena's ninja garb. Yuan looks up from his book, the gears in his head visibly turning as he takes a few steps toward us. I would have to be quick.

"Huh? I don't-" Sheena's confused replies were cut off as I tilt her head up and gently kiss her on the lips. Nothing extravagant or passionate, though I did have to flick my tongue over her lips at the end to wipe away a small bridge of saliva running from her mouth to mine. I do my best not to dissolve into fits of drunken laughter at the dying-fish expression present on every face in the room and take a sip of my wine; the Professor was coolly indifferent to the untrained eye that didn't notice the curve of a smile against the wine glass.

"You rest up," I say to Sheena, who seemed to be clutching onto Colette's shoulder to keep from falling down. "In a half an hour we'll run through this new information in the meeting room. I'll tell Genis you're back."

Effortlessly brushing past the two girls to get into the hallway, I glance over my shoulder at Yuan before the door slides shut.


	6. After affects of a kiss

**Spiritua:** Whee, another Yuan chapter. It's weird, I know what I want to write but not how to start. xX

How dare she. How dare that Raine Sage come into my office, drink my finest wine, and act like she'd never have left. How dare she toy with me. For that's all it was, toying. She was drunk, and decided to play with my head. It worked, too. Even though I knew what she was doing, I couldn't help it. After all this time of denying it, after all this time of carefully culturing a healthy hatred toward her since she left, all she had to do was slide onto my lap and breathe into my hair like she used to and all that melted away. I wanted her back, as much as I'd promised myself I wouldn't. And now that she's gone, her smell faded from my nose and her voice no longer ringing in my ears, I want nothing more than to run my blade through my head as punishment for my stupidity. Sure, she was drunk. But if there's one thing I learned while in her presence before was that she's immune to alcohol. Sure, she gets a doozy of a hangover the next morning, but no matter how much she drinks, she never becomes intoxicated enough where her judgment is clouded. She knew what she was doing here. She knew very well what she was doing. She was being a malicious bitch, there's no other word for it. She was toying with me. As she was toying with Sheena.

Yeah, that's another thing. Within five seconds of removing herself from my lap, when the air around me still smelled of her essence, she kissed Sheena on the lips with no provocation at all. And I know for a fact that Raine Sage is not bisexual. She did it so she had the upper hand, so she had something on Sheena, though what she has now after liplocking the ninja, I'm not quite sure. Somehow, in the Professor's twisted mind, it works.

For some reason, it pisses me off more that she did that to Sheena than that she did that to me. I deserved it. I was fool enough to let it happen, to _want_ it to happen. But Sheena... She didn't deserve it. She likely just did the most dangerous thing of her life, and how did she get rewarded? A kiss from Raine. That's the kind of thing that'd dissuade her from any more missions, I'd think. And we need her, far more than we need Raine. We could figure things out without her. In fact, I have half a mind to send her on a suicide mission to Triet right now. But I'm not going to. Because no matter what that half a mind says, I won't be able to harm her, or let any harm come to her. Curse these emotions. Curse them.

I am suddenly aware of a presence sitting on the desk beside me, gazing at me worriedly. I tense, expecting to see Raine once more when I glance up at the figure... But instead, it's Colette. She smiles when our eyes meet, and I offer a weak half-smile in return. I look around the room, hoping to see the ninja nearby as well, but she seems to have left just after the Professor did. I have to find her, when I'm done speaking to Colette. I have to talk to her. I can't help but feel there's something we need to sort out.

"Any clue where Sheena's off to?" I ask the tiny angel, and she shakes her head.

"She just said she had to go take care of something, and to stay and find out what was wrong with you," she grins. Ah, so _that's_ why Colette's here. "Plus, I want to help. When my friend's sad, it makes me kind of sad. So... What's wrong?"

I shake my head, looking over to the bottle of wine left half-full on the desk. I can't tell Colette. I could possibly tell Sheena, but not Colette. I don't even truly know her. In fact, up until a couple of years ago, I was set to kill her. But she doesn't hold that against me, surprisingly.

"Is it about you and the Professor?" Her voice is surprisingly soft, and that alone brings my gaze back to the blonde. I've never before seen her without her bubbly excitement. When she's not spazzing... She's actually not that bad looking. She looks the part of 'angel' far more than I do. I mean, if one were to see us two walking down the street, would they guess that it was myself that was the four-thousand-year-old seraph? No. It'd be the angelically beautiful blonde girl with a heart of gold that's taken for an angel, and myself? I'd be the lowly man she chooses to grace her presence upon. I suppose appearances can be deceiving, eh?

I reach over to the bottle of wine and and, after a moment where my hand hesitates before it, I pick it up by the neck bringing it to my lap and rereading the label. Tethe'amour, the finest wine in all of Tethe'alla, sold straight from Meltokio's finest winery. I remember the day we went and picked this out, intending to save it for a special occasion... Heh, some occasion, eh? What is it? Get Drunk on Yuan's Desk Day? Heh, I may as well join the celebration. The rim of the bottle is brought to my lips, and I tip the liquid into my mouth, it's sweet flavor trickling down my throat and leaving all it touches with a pleasant tingling sensation. I smile slightly to myself. This really _is_ fine wine.

Now I realize Colette's still gazing at me, awaiting an answer. Sheena'd have given up the staring long before now, and would have forced it out of me. But... though this method is slower, it works just as well. I heave a sigh of surrender, my gaze on the wine bottle. Drinking deeply once more from the wine, I begin to speak.

"Yes, it's about me and the Professor." I start, my tongue slightly thick from the wine. This is pretty strong wine... I'm surprised Raine still talks coherently, after as much as she drank of this. But like I said before, it's impossible for her to get drunk. Myself, on the other hand... If I wished to stay sober, I'd not have taken that first drink. Now that I have, and a second as well, I must fight the wine-fueled thoughts and feelings to say what I need to say.

"Do you love her?" Her sweet, angelic voice breaks through my thoughts once more, and I close my eyes, drinking in the wonderful sound. No, that's the wine talking. Her voice is any ordinary voice, and I'm too intoxicated to realize that. I do realize, however, that I would feel some extreme hesitations to answer her question should I have not been drinking wine. But now... now, for some reason, I feel the words slipping from my mouth without a care.

"No, I don't think I do. I think I just remember how it felt to love her, that warm complete feeling inside, and I want that back. But she just plays with everyone's head, and I think I hate her for it..." I slur my words slightly, though not on purpose. Her eyes widen slightly; I suppose she didn't expect me to honestly answer her. She pauses a moment, biting her lip, apparently struggling for a way to reassure me.

"That's just how the Professor is. She is too free-willed to be tied to others, but too dependant on others to be alone. She needs us all, even you, deep down inside." Colette giggles at this, but I don't know how it's funny. Part of me wants to turn everyone against her, see how malicious she is _then_. But part of me, the part that let her sit on my lap and the part that told me to hug her back, refuses to even _think_ of plotting against her. Why do things have to be so doggamn complicated. Err, I mean, so goddamn complicated. I think I should quit drinking the wine now, before I totally lose my senses.

I thrust the bottle at Colette.

"Take it, if I drink any more I'll probably pass out or kill something I shouldn't or something like that," I explain, my words even more slurred than last time. Stupid Raine and her damn booze parties... Erm, wine parties. Yeah, that's it. She was celebrating Get Drunk on Yuan's Desk Day, but nobody she invited came. Poor Raine. Sorta. Not really. She deserved it. She broke the rules. She didn't get drunk on my desk, she in fact got drunk on my lap. Sorta. Even if she was drunk before then.

Whoa shit. I'm rambling like a drunkard. Somebody, slap me.

I notice Colette eyeing the wine, apparently unsure of what to do with it.

"It's not bad, really. Try it." I prompt. Something in the back of my brain is telling me it's wrong somehow, to offer her the wine, but a stronger part of me is positive that it's almost abuse to keep her holding it without offering her a drink. Her eyes widen, and she looks from the bottle, to me.

"Yuan, I can't, I'm not supposed to, it's _wine_!" She protests, eyes still rounded. I shrug.

"So what? It's not like they're drugs, it's just like grape juice but it leaves a pleasant tingly aftertaste." I reply. She pauses, considering my words.

"…Are you sure?" She questions, still gazing in uncertainty at the bottle in her hand.

"Positive. And that was expensive wine. Why let it go to waste?"

"Well... Maybe just a little bit..." She slowly brings the bottle to her lips and, hesitating a moment, before tilting the bottle up and taking a sip. Her sparkling blue eyes, which had returned to normal size, widened a little once more.

"This is good! It's all tingly..." she giggles, and I grin.

"Have as much as you want," I reply with a shrug, and she grins as well, tipping the bottle up and drinking once more. Damn, that girl can drink. She drinks almost as much as I did, but minus the pauses in between. She must really love grape juice. Heh.

A moment later, she passes the bottle back to me, almost empty. A small swallow is left in the bottom, and I waste no time in draining that gulp of liquid, setting the bottle on the desk on my opposite side with a satisfied sigh. I look back to Colette, who sways ever-so-slightly, giggling madly with an occasional hiccup in between.

"Did you like the wine?" I grin, and she nods excitedly, her head waving dramatically up and down for the following quarter of a minute. Satisfied, I slide from my desk, but my legs are like jelly beneath me, and a hand is forced back to it's wooden edge to steady myself until I am accustomed to their feel.

"Yuan, what was she like?" I turn to Colette, aware that she had stopped giggling and was gazing at me as calmly as she could with a quarter of a bottle of wine in her system.

"What was who like? Raine?" I cock my head, confused.

"Martel," she whispers, then bursts into a fit of quiet giggling over something only she knows. The usual stab of pain associated with that name doesn't come at first, however, and when it does, it seems that it's lessened, like the wine is a cushion to muffle the pain. I gaze at Colette a moment.

"Actually... She was kind of like you." I mused, furrowing my brow in realization. I blink, and for a moment, the sea-foam-green-haired half-elf sits before me in the tiny angel's place, before I blink again and Colette has returned.

"Really? Wooow..." She breathed, her giggles slightly tamer.

"Yeah, really. Her hair was a little greener, and a little wavier, but her face matches yours almost perfectly. And she was always happy, just like you. I never could figure out how she was like that, and I've always envied her for it. Just like I envy you for it. Even when you thought you were gonna die, you still smiled. How do you do it, Colette?" I continue, my words still slurred.

"I dunno, it's just me I guess!" She giggles, her tone of voice letting on how much drunker she is than myself. "I just remembered how if I died, everyone'd be happy again, so I dinnit mind that much."

"_I_ wouldn't be happier if you died..." I protest, and that sends her giggling once more.

"I dinnit mean it like that, silly. I meant that if I sacrificed myself for Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, the world could be all good again." She beams. "But I'm glad I dinnit have to do that, aren't you?"

"Very." I agree, and she fades into a fit of giggles once more. I can't help it. I grin as well. _Bee-bee-beep, bee-bee-beep, bee-bee-beep, bee-bee-beep, bee-bee-beep, bee-bee-beep, bee-bee-beep!_ I glance to the clock on the wall, and find that it's seven. Raine told Sheena to meet her in the meeting room in a half hour, which I believe is pretty close to now. Dammit! I wasted the whole half hour talking to Colette, and never ended up finding Sheena!

I turn to Colette, swaying ever-so-slightly on my jelly legs. She sits on my desk, rocking back and forth, giggling at Martel only knows what.

"Colette, let's go to the Meeting Room. We've gotta find out what Sheena found out." I start, and Colette giggles at the find-out-found-out connection in the latter sentence.

"Okie dokie, I'm right behind you! I mean, I'm right in front of you now, but I'll be right behind you when we go!" She bubbles, rising from the desk excitedly. Immediately she begins to sway, however, holding her arms out for balance. "Whoa, my legs feel all funny..." Her voice is faint, yet still giggly.

"Colette?" I prompt, a bit concerned, though I don't quite know why.

"My head feels all funny too…" She slurs, giggling weakly.

"Are you okay?"

"Hehe, I'm fine, let's go!" She grins, and I snicker slightly at how utterly drunk she is. Not a cruel snicker, mind you, just an amused one. I'm laughing _with_ her, I suppose, for she still giggles incessantly.

"Alrighty then, let's go." I grin, turning and striding toward the door. Before I've gone two steps, however, I hear a heavy thump from behind me. Whirling around, and managing to keep my balance, I see a heap of blonde angel on my office floor.

Oh shit.

I hastily crouch beside her, placing one hand on her shoulder and one on her hip and rolling her so she's face up. The tiny angel's eyes are closed, and she made no response to my touch.

Oh shit.

Colette is passed out on my office floor, from my wine, when my voice told her to drink it. I'm gonna be in a helluva lot of trouble, if I'm found out.

I slide an arm under her back and one under her thighs, lifting her limp form from the floor. Glancing around wildly, I look for a place to hide her... But I find none. I can't hide her anyways. After all, what if she wakes up before I come to get her? That would be highly awkward. Sighing in defeat, I crouch back down, lowering her gently to the floor once more. My mind searches frantically for a solution, while my shaking fingers idly brush the hair from her forehead. Had I not gotten drunk, my fingers wouldn't be shaking, and I probably would have figured out what to do by now. Had I not gotten drunk, this never would have happened to begin with. The sudden collapse of Colette sent me partially sober, sober enough to realize what I've done. Now... Now all I can do is lock my door on the way out and pray she doesn't wake up.

"I'll be back." I whisper, before rising and slipping out the door. I glance around me nervously, punching in the code to lock the door behind me. When the code is complete, I take up a brisk walk down the corridors to the Planning Room. Drawing a breath of dread, I shove open the door, and am immediately greeted by a familiar voice.

"You're late. I said-" Raine stops short when she turns and sees it's me. "Oh, it's you."

"Where's Sheena?" I demand, looking about the room.

"If I knew, would I have thought you were her?" She replies coldly. Genis watches this exchange with confusion and a bit of protectiveness in his eye. Leave it to Genis to take _her_ side. "And Yuan, you're drunk."

"I'm sorry I'm not immune to the effects of wine as you are, Raine," I spit. But I can't help it. I continue. "And I'm sorry your self esteem is so low you have to kiss Sheena to make yourself feel better. And I'm sorry you're not happy unless you're tormenting someone else. And I'm sorry I ever cared about a manipulating bitch like you."

With that, I turn and storm from the room, leaving Raine wide-eyed and Genis rising to his feet with a murderous look on his face. Slamming the door behind me, I lean back against it, closing my eyes and taking a few long, deep breaths. Okay, Yuan. Pull yourself together. Find Sheena.

Easing myself from the door, I stride off toward Sheena's room, which is pretty much back the way I came. It's three doors down and across the hall from my office. A few minutes later, I find myself knocking on the door. There's no answer, but I hear breathing from inside, and a silence like someone trying to pretend they're not there.

"Sheena, it's me." I softly call, my voice still slurred slightly, and I hear footsteps from inside. A moment later, the door swings open, and a rather disheveled Sheena opens the door.

"Yuan..." She starts, about to say something. But then she shakes her head, as if deciding not to finish, and opens the door wider. I enter, and she closes it behind me. She walks over to her bed, climbing onto it and sitting with her back against the headboard. I sit on the edge of the bed, facing her, my own back resting slightly against the base board.

"Sheena? Raine's waiting for you..." I start, my voice as even as it can get, with me being drunk and pissed off.

"I can't see her right now, Yuan." She whispers, her gaze on her lap.

"Why not? Is it 'cause of the kiss?"

"Don't, you won't understand, you couldn't." Sheena shakes her head, though she seems to be close to tears.

"Sheena, please? I wanna try." Suddenly, she looks to me. She gazes at me curiously.

"Yuan? Your voice, are you-…?" She pauses, though after a moment her eyes widen. "You're drunk!"

I look away, unable to meet her gaze. I distinctly remember telling Sheena that I don't drink, whether it be alcohol, wine, or any other hard drink. I hear the faint hiss of clothing on bedspread, and soon I feel the ninja sitting beside me.

"I thought you said you'd try to be happier, Yuan." If I weren't already looking away, I'd look away right then. That's the second time I've broken something I told her. I bite the inside of my lip, wondering how things could get worse.

"That was before she came and drank my wine and sat on my lap and-" I start, but I cut off, eyes widening. My lips are still loose from the wine, and I've told Sheena something she should never know. I sigh once more.

"Yuan..." Once more, she seems to not know what to say. Or not want to say what she knows to say. But I'm gonna stop analyzing before I confuse myself.

"Nevermind, forget it. I shouldn't have said anything." I mumble, and she shakes her head.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm not helping things any. Yuan, what happened?"

"She came into my office, drank my wine, and played with my head and I fell right into her trap, and now Colette's passed out and Raine hates my guts and I don't know what to do." This is all said in one breath, so quickly it could have been mistaken as one long word. Her eyes widen once more as she sorts out what I've said.

"Colette's passed out?" demands the ninja, and I cringe. Did I tell her that?

"I didn't mean to, it just _happened_, and she got ahold of the wine, and I said she could have it…" My voice is soft, vaguely resembling a whimper in quality, all the while slurring slightly.

"You said she could have it? How much did she drink?" Sheena demands, and I cringe again.

"I dunno, whatever was left… I'm sorry, it was wrong, I didn't mean it to happen..."

She sighs, a hand on her forehead in strain.

"I'm not mad, Yuan, I have no right to be. Colette, she has every right to be pissed, but I doubt she will either. Now all we have to do is make sure Raine doesn't find her." She ponders aloud, and I nod. Right then, however, a familiar voice rings out through the halls.

"COLETTE! Are you okay?" Genis's worried voice carries even into Sheena's room. I look to the ninja, who's gone pale.

"It was nice knowing you, Yuan." She whispers, though I'm not sure if she's joking or honestly under the assumption that I'm to die today. I sharply draw breath in dread, and nod, rising to my feet to walk to the door.

"You knew nothing." I softly reply, a promise to leave Sheena out of it. Slipping from the door, I find my office door wide open, and Raine and Genis crouching over Colette inside. When I step through the door, two pairs of icy blue eyes fix upon me, a more homicidal gaze I've never seen.

"Start explaining." Raine hisses, her eyes alight with fury.

"She stayed behind to ask me what was wrong after you decided to make me today's victim, we talked, and then when we heard the clock strike seven, we got up, but she collapsed." I reply, my voice even.

"And for some reason, you didn't call me." Raine continues, challenging my answer.

"I was pissed off, quite obviously, and I wanted nothing to do with you."

"You seemed to want plenty to do with me when I was here." She shoots again, smirking slightly.

"Burn in hell."

"And why did you lock the door?"

I remain silent. She smirks.

"And why does her breath smell of wine?"

"Oh, so you kissed _her_, too?" I sneer, and she rises to her feet, as does Genis. They stride toward me with a purpose, Genis clenching his fists.

"Enough!" Suddenly, Sheena is between us, glaring at first them, then me.

"Sheena, outta the way!" Genis demands, his gaze furious.

"You'll have to go through me, Genis." She replies unflinchingly.

"Sheena, I thought you were far more intelligent than this." Raine's gaze is filled to the brim with anger and disapproval, but Sheena doesn't move.

"I'll fight you both, before I'll let you at Yuan." She replies. The half-elves appear to be considering it, a moment. I have to stop this.

"I'm sorry." I choke out, fighting my pride every syllable. All three look at me in shock.

"What?" demands Raine, astp

"I said I'm sorry." I mumble.

"To what do we owe this sudden lack of arrogance?" She replies, and I refuse the urge to glare at her and call her a bitch once more.

"I'm sorry for getting Colette drunk, and I'm sorry for calling you a manipulative bitch,-" _Even if you are_. "and I'm sorry for letting you play with my mind like you did. You were drunk, and if I'd have kicked you out at the beginning, none of this would have happened."

"Do you mean all that?" The scholar continues skeptically.

"If it's the only thing that will stop all this bullshit, then yes. How are we ever gonna kick the Elite's ass if we're too busy kicking each other's! Raine, do what you want with Colette, but there's nothing really you can do to help her. Genis, Sheena, come on to the Planning Room. Raine will join us when she's done."

To my surprise, nobody objects to my orders. I mean, sure I'm the leader and all, but usually they at least question them. Instead, Raine turns back to Colette, and when I turn to head back to the planning room, I hear two sets of footsteps behind me. I smile slightly to myself. And the day is saved again by Yuan!

And Sheena. But please, don't ruin my moment of glory.

Soon said ninja pulls up beside me. I look to her curiously, and she nods, apparently in approval of how I handled it. I snort in dry humor.

"It would have been easier to run your fancy new sword through my heart."

"But you didn't, and that's what counts." She replies, though she is half-smiling as well.

"Indeed. Though there's no way you're going to get out of telling me how you got that." I smirk, and she nods.

"I know, I wouldn't even think of trying."

Genis has continued to hang back, no doubt sending dirty looks at my back. I can almost feel the hostility burning a hole into the back of my head. The pressure gets worse with each step. It gets worse and worse and worse and-

I whirl around to face him, to find that he is in fact glaring.

"Genis, I know I said things I shouldn't, and I know you never did like me much anyways, but Raine and I have a very complicated relationship, and quite honestly she deserves a bunch of what I said. Trust me on that. Now we have to get along, so we can kick some angel ass. Referring to the _enemy_ angels, by the way, so don't get any ideas. So… Truce?" I hold out a hand, and after a moment, he shakes it, his gaze still mutinous. I sigh, but I suppose it's better than nothing. He might be a few inches taller than Raine now but he was still a kid.

Shortly after, we enter the Planning Room, though we do little more than sit around for a good ten minutes. After that, however, the door swings open, and a calm, collected Raine strides purposefully in. She steps toward her chair, only to find that I'm sitting in it, for it is the Leader's chair, and I am no longer allowing her to play leader. She nods, as if saying 'fair enough', and takes a seat next to Sheena, who tenses slightly. Our gazes meet, and I smile slightly. Slowly, she smiles back, and slowly she relaxes. I don't blame her for being tense around Raine, though... She kissed her, of all things. If a friend of mine did that to me, like Kratos or something, I'd feel dirty and violated, and it'd be hard to trust him again. I imagine that's something like how Sheena feels.

I soon realize that everyone's watching me expectantly. And here I am, half-grinning like a fool. I assume a straight face, clearing my throat uncomfortably.

"Uh, I believe it's time to find out what Sheena's learned." I start, shifting awkwardly as Raine's eyes bore into my head. She nods, turning to Sheena, who rises from her seat and reaches for the packet of angel profiles. The ninja proceeds to tell us of the angels' powers and such, then of their attacks. What interests me, however, is when she tells us that the black-haired angel is not the leader.

"Oh really, now? Then who is?" I challenge, slightly irked that my faithful renegades have been proven less useful than a fortune teller in town.

"It's a man by the name of Letram. He's said to have sea-foam-green hair and blue eyes, pure white wings, and a strange air about him. Maddox, the black haired one, is his second-in-command." She replied. When we all seemed satisfied, she continued, going over the details she'd been given about Project H.E.A.T.

"And of Lloyd?" Raine prompts, but Sheena shakes her head.

"No word, I'm sorry." She replies, and the room fades into silent pondering.

"So what's the plan, boss?" Genis asks, and a silence follows. "Yuan?"

I glance up in surprise, to find three pairs of eyes looking at me.

"Boss?" My voice is surprised, and he hesitates only a second before nodding. I grin, and after a moment, he grins in return. Raine doesn't appear to happy about this, but I suppose that's not my problem. I rise to my feet, looking over the map.

"I say we infiltrate Triet once more, this time all of us, and this time our main focus is Lloyd. We have to find what information we can about his whereabouts, and do so in a way unnoticeable to the Elite." I inform them.

"And if we're caught?" I meet Raine's gaze, surprised slightly at the lack of hostility in her tone.

"If we're caught... Run like hell."

Genis grins once more. "Sounds like a plan to me."

**Spiritua:** Hehe. I like this chapter. Its weird, 'cause I started off writing this intending to have Sheena and Yuan talk in Yuan's office, and have Yuan talk to her about the Raine kiss thing, but… This just sorta happened. I hope it's good. :D

**Dragonwings**: It's very good! I was laughing my butt off. I hope the readers like this too!


	7. Restraint

**Dragonwings: **Pardon me boy, is this the Chattanooga choo-choo? AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA! FINALLY! Almost 4000 words this chapter. I'M CATCHING UP TO YOU, SPIRITUA! Today's chapter, "Colette Gets a Spine!" Read, Review, and Enjoy. Reviewers get chocolate! Again, the edit document page wont let me use rulers so I'll just do this.

**OoOoOoOoO**

Perhaps the best word to describe my entire life, since my birth to my seventeenth birthday, was _restraint_. It's less painful now because it's a different kind of restraint, I have to restrain from physical things (like smashing a building to smithereens) instead of emotional ones (like not telling Lloyd "I love you" every day ever since he stomped into my life with his funky red boots). I remember being so adamant that I not eat lunch with my classmates in case they started to like me. I never wanted them to go through the inevitable grief that would happen when I died. Because I knew I was born only to die, and if I died before my allotted time one of my cousins would take my place as the Chosen One. Now I just have to be sure I don't rip my pillow to shreds in utter agony.

I groan softly into my mattress, shoving my head under my pillow as I try to ignore my pounding headache. Being the Chosen One had spared me this result of revelry known only as _hangover_. Talking to Zelos or Regal, who both had knowledge of fine wines, I'd heard of the side-affect to when you lose your restraint. But I never saw myself having one. I'm not really a party person.

The electric doors slide open and I hear the militaristic stride that could only belong to Yuan. It's a sign of how bad my condition is that I didn't hear him walking down the hallway. Oh yeah, that's another thing I have to restrain. I don't really know how it works, but I still have all my angelic powers. Even my energy wings are still there, and I can still make them materialize _pow_! just like that. So I have to be careful to learn how to control my insane hearing and sight, otherwise I might be talking to someone and then I can't see their eyes anymore because I'm focusing on the individual veins. Or if I hear a really loud noise and I'm not prepared I get a headache. Nothing like a hangover, though.

Grape juice never hurt like this.

"Hi, Yuan," I try to say, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth is a pitiful whimper. Ugh. If Lloyd could see me now he'd be disgusted.

"Sit up, Colette." Uh-oh. I know that tone of voice. It's an order. And now that Yuan's my boss I gotta do whatever he says. I think. It's not like he's paying me or anything. But everyone else (even the Professor) seems to have designated him the leader.

I bet if Lloyd were here, Yuan would be taking orders from him. Lloyd's a true leader of men. That's what the Professor said once.

Slowly I inch my way into a sitting position, trying not to make any sudden movements. My vision is one thick blond curtain as my hair hangs over my face; it keeps any stray light out of my eyes. But I know it's not right to just avoid Yuan like this so I shove the blond curtain out of my eyes to look up at him, stern and commanding. The only thing that comes to mind is:

"I'm sorry."

His whole posture changes at that. He seems ready to take a step back, and his thin blue eyebrows shoot up into his bangs. "_You're_ sorry?" he asks. "What do you have to be sorry for? Stop apologizing."

"Oh," I say, still confused. "Er… sorry?"

He closes his eyes and rubs his fingers against his brow. "Stop apologizing."

I bite back another _sorry_ and nod before remembering that moving wasn't good for Colettebrains. I grit my teeth and close shut my eyes, trying not to collapse into a fit of girlish whimpers. "Grape juice never hurt like this," I say under my breath, struggling to remain calm."

"I know. That's why I came here," he says. Oops, he heard me. I forget sometimes that I'm not the only angel in the world. The bluenette pulls something out from under his cape and hands it to me. "Drink this," he says. I'm wary for a few moments because I can't help but remember what happened the last time he told me to drink an unknown liquid. Grape juice my foot! Grape juice never hurt like this.

Gah, don't be that way, Colette! Be grateful, Yuan is going out of his way to help you. _Grateful_. You have so much to be grateful for so you'd better get a backbone and suck it up.

I take the liquid and mutter something that might have been a word of thanks but sounded something more like what a team of dying oxen might make. It's bitter and nasty and wakes me up, making me almost gag and spit it out onto his floor. But then I remember myself and force the whole thing down my throat. Ugh. _Ugh_! Nas-tay!

"Thanks," I gasp, trying to smile but only managing to grimace and fall back down onto the bed. "Time?"

"It's been a while since you passed out," he says, his arms crossed as he looks down at me. Faintly I remember him sitting on his desk and giggling his face off with an empty bottle of wine in his hands. Was that a dream, or was I not the only one who had made a total fool of myself? "Raine told me to let you sleep until the morning and then to give you that medicine."

Raine? Oh no… My face heats up. The Professor had seen me in that pitiful state? I hide my face in the mattress so he doesn't see and ask: "Have I ruined everything? I remember we were supposed to have some sort of meeting and Sheena had information on the other angels and Project: H.E.A.T. But then I… er… drank your wine…" My voice trails off, growing fainter with each word.

"Only because I didn't warn you how potent it was," he insists. I only smile, starting to feel more like my old self as I sit up again and stretch. The Professor may not know how to cook but at least she knows how to heal a person. I almost feel alive again.

Yuan fills me in on our assignment: To infiltrate Triet and find out any information we could on Letram and his remnants of Cruxis and their Project: H.E.A.T.

And see if we can't find Lloyd and Presea while we're at it. I wonder what he'll say when he sees me again? Will he feel guilty, or awkward, or will he just run up to me and give me a hug and big sloppy kiss on the cheek and pretend I'm not a girl? And Presea…

"So we're leaving today," I say. It's not a question.

Yuan nods. "Be ready in two hours." He pauses, opens his mouth to say something else, fidgets a little, and then does an about face and marches out of the room. He's probably still embarrassed about what happened. He's always so cool; this is probably killing him as much as it's killing me. Getting out of bed and slipping on my baggy white-and-blue jacket, I head over to the meeting room where Genis and Sheena usually hung out. I wanted to be with Sheena more than anyone right now. She was the only one I still felt close to, even though Genis was a close second. It turned out that it was only him in the meeting room, sitting on the table with his legs dangling over the side.

"Well, well, well," he says, grinning impishly at me as I slide the door closed behind me. I flush. "If it isn't little miss party-girl. You missed the whole drama between our elders and supposed betters last night."

"Drama?" I ask, sitting next to him. His feet brush the floor and he has to sit farther back on the table so they don't bump against the carpet while I'm perched on the edge and my feet dangle freely. It's strange to think that he's taller than me now.

He makes a disdainful, raspberry-ish noise. "Pfft. I don't even want to talk about it. Raine and Yuan were being petty as usual and poor Sheena was stuck in the middle."

"Oh no…"

"Oh, yes." Genis surprises me by producing a lollipop from one of the drawers on the table. I grin. Genis and I had a lot of things in common, a ferocious sweet tooth being one of them.

"Where'd you find sweets in an abandoned Renegade base?" I ask, delighted as I peel off the wrapper.

"Yuan's office. Raine and I used to live here, remember?" he shrugs, pulling out another sucker for himself, blueberry flavored. "Yuan was kind of nice to me when him and Raine were still sharing a bed."

"It seems to me like he's still nice," I say. It's the truth. So far every time Yuan had ever snapped at Genis was because Genis was provoking him. Genis doesn't say anything else for a while, so I just bide my time, wondering if this was the end of our conversation. Of course I'm dying to hear more, but sometimes it's best if you let people talk only as much as they want to.

"It just pisses me off that the only thing he's ever done is make Raine stress out," he blurts, almost spitting out his lollipop. He's really pale like me, so it's easy to see when he's flustered like this. I still don't say anything, concentrating on the golden buttons on my boots. "I know she's an adult and can do whatever she likes… and I know she's more like my mother than my sister… but when she's around Yuan it's like the roles reverse with us. She just acts so immature and does things totally out of character for her."

Like with Sheena. I get embarrassed at the memory; it hadn't made much sense at the time- actually, it still doesn't make much sense- but I think the Professor must have been trying to get Yuan jealous. Before Sheena and I had walked into the room they must have been arguing or something and the Professor just did the first thing that popped into her head. It's strange, 'cause I was the closest one but she'd purposefully headed for Sheena. Either they had been arguing about Sheena, or the Professor just thinks Sheena's prettier. Or something. But I guess if I had to choose between myself (ironing board) and Sheena (voluptuous and strong and super-cool) I'd choose Sheena too. Sheena's just always been better-

Wait a second, what's wrong with me? I'm getting _jealous _because the Professor chose Sheena to channel her random burst of Sapphic energy instead of me? My ego must still be tender from being rejected by Lloyd.

"So…" I snap back to reality, "Is that why you're always angry at Yuan?"

Maybe if I had asked it a little sooner he would have answered, but right now his confession time was over. He shrugs just like a teenager should and continues sucking on his lollipop, bringing back memories of us when he was eight and I was eleven. And I still had had hope of someday telling Lloyd how I felt. Acting on impulse, I place my hand over his and squeeze it tightly, leaning closer and resting my head on his shoulder.

"When my friends are sad it makes me kind of sad," I say. "So if there's ever a time when you just want to talk, or anything else, anything at all, and I'll help. OK?"

He wriggles; Genis doesn't like being affectionate, especially with girls. He might be fifteen but he still acts like I have the cooties. Was I that immature when I was fifteen? No… I was in the Martel Temple, preparing myself for the months-long journey to my death. "Stop acting like such a girl, for starters!"

With a wicked grin, I hop off the table and turn to face him, hands on my hips. "You don't want me to act like a girl? OK! I'll be Yuan, would you like that better?" Grabbing a rubber band from the desk, I tie my hair back like Yuan does and make my wings materialize on my back. Crossing my arms and thrusting one hip to the side, I glare at Genis, making my voice low and deep.

"And so you've come, like moths to the flame!"

I wave my lollipop around in front of his face. "I knew you would come for the candy sooner or later!" I really hope I'm doing a good job and he's laughing with me, not at me. Either way, though, he's not sad, and that makes me not-sad.

"Stop laughing!" I bark, screwing my face up. Genis begins to cry helpless tears of laughter. "Why you little-! I'll show you the difference in our strength! RAH!" Using my wings to help me make the distance, I leap up into the air and land on his chest, being sure not to accidentally crush him with my brutish strength. But by that point he was beyond caring about a few broken ribs; I never knew I could make him laugh like this. Tugging at his ears and grinning, I tickle him in one of his sensitive spots just above his hips, demanding his surrender.

"You'll never take me alive, Brunel!" he shouts, breaking free because I let him. Of course I could have kept him pinned down since he was never an athletic boy and I was stronger than him, but where was the fun in that?

"Feel my angelic wrath, Sage! Hoo-hah!" Bounding over the table, I reach out to grab his shirt but he slips out of the way. "So you're running from Yuan?" I taunt, floating warily on one end of the table as he faces me from the other side.

"Nah, you being Yuan isn't fun anymore. I'm running from Colette the Klutzy."

"I'm very fearsome, aren't I?"

"No, you're b-"

Whatever he was about to say next was interrupted as the doors to the meeting room slid open and we're thrust suddenly into the middle of someone else's conversation. Sheena storms into the room, the Professor hot on her heels as she says: "Well if that's the case then I don't see why we're even having this argu-!"

The Professor stops mid-sentence when she realizes they aren't alone. Smoothly recovering, she flips her silver hair back over her ears and smiles at me. "Colette," she says, moving to me and pressing a palm against my forehead. "You're awake. Are you feeling well? No dizziness, nausea?"

"No, Professor. Thank you..." I peek over the Professor's shoulder to see Sheena puffing in anger, her arms crossed as she glares at the back of the Professor's head. I give her a weak smile and she returns it after a moment, turning away from us to give Genis a raised eyebrow. He had one foot on a desk chair and the other on the table top, his arms still high over his head mid-wave. He coughs and quickly hops back down, inspecting his fingernails.

"So are we getting ready to leave?" I ask, trying desperately to keep an awkward silence at bay.

"Yes. We have about a half an hour before we need to head out," Sheena spoke up. I blink; I had spent an hour playing with Genis? Hehe… time flies when you're having fun. What was Genis about to say before they walked in, anyway? You're Buh. Buh... buh? B.. Boring...Bunny? Beep, boom, bursting, blood- wait, no, there wasn't an L. Buh. Buuuuuuuuuuuuh. Boo.. booo... Bu.. Beau...

OH OH I GOT IT! Beautiful! You're beautiful!

...wait...

**OoOoOoOo**

"Sneaky sneaky Sheena…" I whisper as we creep past the secret entrance Sheena had found in her last espionage mission. She looks over her shoulder at me and grins.

"It was Celsius who found it…" she admits, lagging behind to walk next to me. Her cute purple-and-pink robes were gone, replaced with a more standard Triet woman's garb. I was wearing something similar, with a big scarf thingie over my shining blond hair. If you don't look too closely we look just like any other pair of Triet women. Yuan and _Genis_ (eerk...) were separate from us and Raine was walking alone. We had decided- and by _we_ I mean _Yuan_- to split up to better collect information.

It scared me at first, because I thought that somehow the angel Elite roaming the streets would somehow know that I was an angel, too. And I wasn't so scared for my own life as I was for Sheena if she were to be caught with me. I want to take her aside and tell her something, like, _If they catch me it's OK if you run. They'll probably just try to convert me to Elite-ism or something since I'm a fellow angel._ But I also don't want to stress her out or let her know that_ I'm_ stressing out, so I bite my lip.

"So how do we do this?" I say instead.

"Just act natural," she said, sashaying in front of me. Sheena's always had a way of walking like she was dancing, a gentle sway of the hips. I always feel like a waddling duck when I watch her walk so I quicken my pace to walk side by side with her again.

"Natural?" I ask, looking around me nervously. Sheena stops at a vendor, pretending to muse over some tacky jewelry.

"Natural. Act like a teenaged girl who's just out with her friend. We'll chat up some locals to see if they have any information on Lloyd."

I nod and hold up something small and turquoise and glittery up to my neck and turn to her, smiling. "Pretty, right?" I ask, hoping I sound natural enough for her.

"…Uh-huh…" Sheena said, looking distantly at something over my shoulder. I frown, curious to see what's gotten a hold of Sheena's attention but she grabs my chin before I could turn around. Tilting my face up and making a big show of studying me, she goes, "But you need some earrings, too. And maybe we could pierce your nose. Here" –she holds a mirror up to my face- "Can't you see yourself with something that matches that necklace?"

I look into the mirror, totally confused at this point. Was Sheena only acting weird because of the roles we had to play? The only thing noticeable that I see in my reflection is my bright blue eyes. There's not much you can do to hide those. I mean, unless you-

I freeze, my thoughts all standing still as I look beyond my reflection into the busy street of the Triet bazaar.

The desert people wear dark colors, like brown or black, and sometimes cream and sand. A bright color stands out among them like a beacon. You can't help but notice him standing there, proud and carefree. Though the desert people act like all is well, you notice the harsh lines on their face, the tire in their steps. They might not acknowledge it, but they know they are all captives of the angels.

His face is fresh.

And strong.

But gentle…

The red armor is leather, not plate metal, but it gleams in the sunlight. No, it's brighter than the sunlight. Lloyd. My Lloyd.

I put the mirror down. "I think I'll shop a little longer," I say. "You should go home, though."

Sheena glances at me. I wonder if my face looks weird? She's giving me these odd looks, so I must have. "But don't you want to-"

"I want to shop!" I say, my voice strained. "A little longer."

"Colette…"

But before she says anything else, a shrill whistle pierces the air. My ears aren't prepared for the noise and it almost makes me faint, that's how loud it is. Then there's this huge commotion as the crowd we're in starts to move in one direction, shouts going up into the air.

"Criminal!"

"Intruder!"

Angels begin to shove their way through the crowd, carrying something behind them. I don't have time to think, now's not the time to think. I grab Sheena by the sleeve and literally drag her towards Lloyd. They must realize he's here!

"Lloyd," I say, putting a hand on his shoulder and forcefully turning him around to face me for the first time in forever. "We've got to go, now!"

For a minute, he has this really lost look just like old time. "Colette?" he gapes, dumbstruck.

I falter, taking a step back even as the angels start to march closer. Then I shake my head. Come on, Colette. Get a backbone. You need to get everyone safely out of here. "Where's Presea?" I ask. "We gotta get out of here, it's not safe."

"Right here."

It's still a little startling to realize there are people in this world who are shorter than me. Presea hasn't changed much. Before I really think about it, I smile at her. Of course I smile at her. She's my friend before everything else, before being my… Ri…val….? No, never. I shouldn't even think that word. Suddenly Yuan and Genis are by my side and we're herding Lloyd and Presea through our secret exit, heading towards the meeting place where we had decided that we could regroup if something like this happened. The Professor would find us there.

Only there's one problem.

I know I didn't see her, that brief instant when the angels were shoving through. I know I didn't. Even my angel vision can't see through a few dozen swarming bodies of Triet men and woman who were obstructing my view of what exactly it was they were dragging along behind them, in shackles. I can't have seen her… Because if I had seen that the intruder the angels were talking about was Raine, I wouldn't have run to Lloyd. He's not my Lloyd anymore. No more than Presea is my rival. But Ra- the Professor was still my Professor. And now we're gonna get her back. And I know when I see the guys who took her, I'm not gonna show _any_ restraint.


	8. Rescue Raine!

**Spiritua:** Sheena ttttiiiimmmmeeeee. Well, more like "Sheena and Shadow time" but... That's beside the point. Apologies for taking so long, I was officially grounded and such so… yeah. Just to clear things up:

'…_this is Shadow. he always has dots before and after his words…'_

'_This is Sheena talking to Shadow in her head.'_

"This is normal speech."

"_This is her summoning or directing a Summon Spirit, or using a card attack like Pyre Seal or something._" (Example: "Watch this! _Pyre Seal!_" or "Celsius could help. _Celsius, grant us your ice!_")

**Dragonwings:** YARG! LIEK, ZOMG! T3H L337 SPIRITUA PWNZ MIN3 CHAPTERZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! (bangs head on the keyboard) (cough cough) Anyway... Here we go... I wanted to edit this since this chapter really goes against my writing style, but this is HER chapter so I'm like, "What the hell! The readers probably need a change of pace anyway! And who says my writing style is better than hers? Let's have this be totally 200 Spiritua!" final word count- 11,000 plus words!!

* * *

'…_caught…'_

Though the market bustle around me is slightly louder than usual, the Trietians all attempting to inconspicuously gawk at the seraphim parade and talking fearfully among themselves, I can hear this one rasped word echo through my mind as clear as if Shadow were standing just beside me and the rest of the world rested silent.

My blood turns to ice, and I feel a pressure on my chest rendering me near unable to breathe. I can't tear my gaze from the angels if Symphonia itself depended on it, my eyes wide like a bird before a Rheiard.

The others have fled the scene, but don't seem to notice I'm not following. I scarcely even noticed they left.

For I know who it is that the angels have taken captive.

I see that flash of silver hair, that orange cloak, and, for one split second, those icy blue eyes. Those, cold, calculating eyes... But for once, they are not so. For the first time since I first gazed into them so defiantly years ago, they were not strong. The icy blue eyes are clouded with fear.

They've got Raine.

And in that second that our eyes met, I knew I had to save her.

She didn't even cry out for help... Damn Raine and her damned pride. Her pride and dignity is what kept her silent, I know it is. She couldn't bring herself to accept help from anyone. As if her life being saved wasn't worth such a minor disgrace.

Her life.

Her life could be on the line here. Now that she's out of sight around the sand-colored wall, she may be dead even now, though I doubt it. If Maddox spared her long enough to get her out of Triet, I don't think he'd stain the sand with her blood just outside it's gates.

Maddox.

Just the image of his smirking face in my mind sends my iced blood boiling, and I clench my fists. I hate him. He deserves every headache he got from Fairess's blow to the head. If he touches a single hair on her head...

I suddenly realize I'm racing toward the gate through which they left, but I make no move to stop myself. All logic and reason is overwhelmed by my desire to rescue my half-elven friend.

Reaching the gate, I slide to a stop so hasty I nearly lose my balance. Just around the corner, out of view moments ago, is the entire company of angels, circled around Maddox and a figure on it's knees. Raine. The raven-haired angel's hand is poised to strike, and Raine holds up a defensive arm to block it.

"STOP!" I cry, before I could think of the consequences. Maddox's eyes meet mine, and they fill with rage.

"YOU!" He spits, pointing at me with a finger which nearly shakes with his anger. "You dare interfere again!?"

"This time the harlot doesn't have her spirit pals to help her, now does she?" Smirks another, one of the survivors of the previous battle. The rest of the angels slowly smirk, their hands coming to rest on their weapons. I draw my sword, which I've decided to dub Onyxaph –a combination of 'onyx' meaning black and 'seraph' meaning angel—pointing it warningly at the angels. Raine watches with wide eyes. After a moment, so does Maddox.

"My... MY SWORD!" he roars, causing some of the angels to cringe slightly. All is silent as he stares me straight in the eye. Then, calmly, with a smirk crossing his face, he orders, "Kill her."

My eyes widen to match Raine's, for up until now I never considered he'd give such an order.

With a yelp of surprise, I jam Onyxaph into its sheath, turn on my heels, and dash off into Triet, the angels at my heels.

I shove through the crowd with a reckless abandon, roughly pushing people out of my way and drawing many a cry of protest and anger. Even with their angel reflexes, I am nearly positive I am faster than them by foot, but the crowd that I was forced to shove through parted fluidly to let the seraphim through. They slowly gain ground, their armor clinking behind me, so close I can almost _feel_ it. There's no way I'll be able to escape! I fight down the panic slowly spreading inside me, but it gets harder to resist by the second.

When I turn the bend to the oasis, my sides heave greatly, each breath a struggle. Sweat slides down my forehead and burns my eyes, and my limbs are on the edge of collapse. I can stand it no more. Before the angels turn the bend as well, I throw myself to my left, into the oasis. Though I try to land smoothly, it still makes a splash, and I fear that the angels may have heard it. I press myself to the side, under a small alcove of packed sand, wishing I'd taken a bigger breath, for already my lungs scream for air. I feel the vibrations of the angels mere feet away, but then they stop, apparently confused. My lungs burn from the strain of resisting the urge to breathe in whatever I can get, which in this case would be oasis water, but I feel and see an angel step closer, onto the edge of the alcove. The pressure knocks loose a stone on the bottom side, which violently strikes me on the head and sends my vision and senses spinning. The edges of my vision is black, and the darkness calls to me, offering to welcome me in it's warm embrace...

So I let it, my grip on reality slipping, and my grip on the wall and my hidey-hole slipping as well...

----

'…_no… cannot give up… now that I've found you…'_

…

'…_be merciful… master… awaken… cannot die now… won't allow it…'_

…

'…_please…'_

----

"NO!"

A despair-filled cry pierces the silence. No, it wasn't silence. Shadow was there. Pleading for my life. I reach out with my mind to contact him.

'…_you…are alive?…'_

There seemed to be more than the usual emotionless hiss in his words. He seemed... shaken, somehow.

'_Shadow? What's wrong?'_

'…_almost lost you… again…'_

'_Again? What do you mean, again?'_

But he will say no more. I can still sense his presence, but he refuses to answer my question.

"Sheena... Sheena, you can't be dead." Somewhere, in some world far more harsh and cruel than my Shadow-dreamland, someone is calling to me. Pleading to me.

My eyes flutter open, and I am overcome with the urge to expel something from my lungs. Coughing violently, I sputter up all the water I inhaled while unconscious, which joins the puddle I lay in. I am on the packed-dirt path beside the oasis, my feet still floating slightly in the shallows, my features dripping excessively. The oasis is peaceful, aside from a small crowd of people who have begun to cluster around the scene.

I look up to my savior, in all his blue-haired glory. Yuan. When his gaze meets mine, his eyes widen, and he seems to be struggling with the urge to embrace me in relief.

"Sheena! You're alive!" He exclaims, helping me into a sitting position as I blink and try to get my bearings. He now seems to notice the crowd, and glares fiercely at the Trietians, waving an arm at them.

"Get lost, there's nothing to see here, get outta here!" He snarls, his voice no longer kind. He continues to shout at the citizens, and slowly the crowd disperses.

_Raine._

I feel a sob rise in my throat, and I choke it down, resting my arms on my knees and burying my face in my arms to hide the tears that are forcing their way from my eyes. I feel my body shudder, but am powerless to stop it or even to disguise it from the half-elf who aids me. Immediately I feel his attention return to me, and I turn my head away, unwilling to let him see me in such a state, no matter how obvious it is. I feel him tense up, surprised, before wrapping a comforting arm around my shoulders and drawing me in to his chest. I do not resist, however, burying my face in his shirt and continuing to cry. He seems even more surprised that I accepted his gesture of comfort than that I was crying to begin with. And in case you haven't heard, Sheena Fujibayashi never cries. Never. The last time I cried was when I was five years old, and, though I've come close on numerous occasions, I have upheld my ninja training by fighting back the urge. Up until now. I couldn't help it... I really couldn't. To know that I have condemned her to her death, fled when she needed me most… That is the true disgrace.

I still know one thing. I have to save her. I have to get to her before she's killed.

I have to.

----

I slip through the passageway behind the forsaken tent of the Fortune Teller, making sure I am fully composed once more. I don't know how long I cried. It could have been anywhere from five minutes to an hour. All I know is that neither I nor Yuan said a word about it then, and under unspoken agreement we never will mention it again.

The group I come face to face with seems as panicked as I was earlier, if not more so.

"SHEENA!" Colette squeals, tears rimming her eyes as she tackles me and shoves me to the ground in a violent angel-hug of relief. Genis quickly joins the hug-pile, laughing in relief. After a minute, they allow me to rise once more, and I attempt to brush the sand off my damp clothing and out of my semi-wet hair. Colette and Genis seem to notice the added moisture.

"Sheena, what happened? And where's Raine?" He questions, peering anxiously into the path behind us. I bite my lip, expecting a war between my pride and my tears to commence, but instead it is merely a minor skirmish. I think I've cried all I can cry. Thank Martel for that.

Colette looks to the ground. She seems to have some clue as to the fate of Raine as well.

"Raine is... with Maddox. They've taken her captive, and when I went after her, I just narrowly escaped." I inform them, and a mournful hush comes over the group. Well, aside from Genis, who utters a string of curse words so long he has to include human, elfin, angelic, and even Mizuhoan words to fill it. Colette's eyes widen as he finishes, followed by my own and Yuan's, then Presea's. Genis gives a nervous laugh and scratches his neck awkwardly, realizing the only one not astonished is Lloyd, who for a moment is nodding in admiration at his friend's accomplishments before I cuff him upside the head. I don't know what force compelled me to do that. I guess that in Raine's absence, it's my job to keep people in line. Now where would I find a long pointy thing for long-range thwapping? I'm gonna need to practice if I'm gonna get that not-hard-enough-to-knock-them-out-but-hard-enough-to-raise-a-welt-the-size-of-Derris-Kharlan aspect right.

No, bad Sheena! This isn't time for jokes. Raine IS coming back, whether she likes it or not. Nothing short of my death can keep me away from that goddessdamned Citadel and its occupants. I'll take it apart with my bare hands if I have to!

Yuan clears his throat, startling me from my mutinous threats.

"As much of a loss as it is to have Raine taken from us so suddenly, we must return to the Base before the angels return for the rest of us." He softly declares, and the others look to him a moment in appraisal before nodding in agreement. I understand their hesitations. If anyone felt they could benefit from Raine's abduction, it'd be Yuan, the one Raine seemed to always vent her malicious side on. The others, Genis especially, might wonder if Yuan's motives were pure. Not that there's any way to get Raine back right now, but… Even _I _don't trust Yuan to put forth full effort to regain our lost member. I nod as well, and we're off across the desert, our spirits far less jubilant than when we last trekked it's expanse.

Genis doesn't say a single word the whole way back, and even Colette seems to droop. Lloyd and Presea appear confused more than anything, but they too understand that they'd witnessed something terrible. Yuan is a different story entirely. He walks with a determined step, his jaw set purposefully and his gaze straight ahead. The proud commander of a fallen army, that's how it appears. But I know him better than to believe his façade. Yuan isn't the sort who usually hides his feelings, so when he withdraws to his protective leader face, that means something truly awful is going on. While the rest of us cry, he puts on his military face. I resist the sudden urge to speak with him, knowing my attentions would be better spent on those who are less skilled at handling their emotions. Like Genis and Colette.

I survey the two of them from where I walk just behind them, eventually deciding to comfort Colette first. Hastening my step, I pull up to the right of the tiny angel. Her eyes meet mine, lighting up hopefully. I feel a wave of guilt wash over me; I know Colette expects me to reassure her, to tell her how we were going to get Raine back safely, to be the pillar for her to lean on. I open my mouth to attempt just that, but close it again, unsure of what I can say to help the matter any. A flicker of bewilderment appears in the hopefulness in her eyes, and I know what she must be thinking. If Sheena is speechless, things must be truly bad.

I sigh in defeat.

"It's okay, things are gonna be fine. Those angels, they're pansies. We can take them, easy. We'll get Raine back, don't worry." I attempt, and the bewilderment fades to a mere shadow.

"You promise?" She whimpers, and I hesitate. How can I promise her that? Something so uncertain… I can't give my word on _that_.

Have you ever been around a person that could always guess how you feel, no matter how you try and hide it? I have. That's Colette. I don't know if it's an angel sense or if it comes naturally to her, but its nearly impossible to disguise anything from the tiny angel. And because of this, she senses my hesitation to make that promise. No, she doesn't say anything about it, but I see the tears well up in her eyes.

And if you've ever seen Colette cry, you'd know that it could break even the coldest heart.

"I promise I'll try." I offer, and her gaze meets mine once more. After a moment, she smiles slightly, nodding in acceptance and bringing a finger up to hastily wipe away her tears.

We chat idly a bit longer, but the exact topic is unimportant. After a minute or so, I drift away from the blonde, pulling up beside Genis instead. His gaze is fixated on the sand, and he's biting his lip, which I know from my travels with the mage means he's trying with all his strength not to cry. He is so deeply focused on his task that he doesn't even notice me beside him until I place my hand on his shoulder. The half-elf flinches slightly, jerking his head up and his eyes to mine. His eyes are glassy and incomprehensive. I can't help but recoil slightly, unnoticeably. Genis... I've never seen him like this before. This look in his eyes... I admit it, it scares me. It'd be better if he'd give in and cry, rather than withdraw behind this emotionless mask. I've seen this mask before... On his very own sister. But never on Genis.

"Genis? Are you okay?" I softly offer, but he doesn't answer. His gaze returns to the sand.

"Leave me alone," the half-elf mutters, surprisingly venomous. I withdraw immediately, slowing down to walk a few paces behind him and gazing at the back of his head inquisitively. I suppose I should have went into this particular battle with a strategy, shouldn't I? After a moment of observation in which the half-elf made no other move to acknowledge my presence, I step up beside him once more. Or, at least, I start to.

'…_wait…'_

Though I hear Shadow's word loud and clear, I shake my head, finishing the movement and coming up to his right.

"Genis?"

"Go away."

"Genis, I-"

"Go the hell away!" He hisses, his voice raised dangerously, and I back off once more, eyes widened. The gazes of Colette, Lloyd, Presea, and even Yuan are upon me now, and I pointedly gaze at my feet, unwilling to meet their confused stare. They probably think I was pestering the mage, something that's generally frowned upon when done to one in a state of mourning. In Mizuho, if one was wearing the deep violet of mourning, they were not to be spoken to unless they spoke first.

But he's so _sad_... Could they blame me for trying to help?

I walk in silence for a while, my gaze on my feet.

'_What do I do?'_

'…_wait…'_

'_Wait for what?'_

'…_the time will come…'_

Part of me questions my sanity for asking advice from a thousand year old loner, but part of me trusts his word far beyond that of anyone else. Shadow is bound to me via a mana link etched into the land itself. That if nothing else prevents him from leading me astray. So I travel the rest of the trip in silence, and after what seems like an eternity and a half, I find myself at the door to the Base. Wordlessly, we go our separate ways, Genis to his room, Colette to ours, and Yuan to his office. I stand a moment, unsure of where to go myself, before realizing that Lloyd and Presea are still standing there awkwardly just inside the door. Surveying the two, I realize how confusing this all may be. But now's not the time to explain.

"You'll be staying-..." I pause, looking around, then spotting the door to one of the spare rooms. "You'll be staying in there. Everything you need is in there already. There'll be two beds, lights, and a table, as well as a few Renegade uniforms. I personally would die before I'd be caught in one, they're hideous. Besides, I doubt there's any your size, Presea. One of us will drop by in a few minutes to explain what the hell's going on. Unless you'd rather disturb Yuan in his office, which even I don't dare to attempt on most days."

With this I turn, setting off down the left hallway even before they have time to answer. Sure, this may be a bit rude to my friends, but I'm a woman on a mission. A mission I'd started a few hours previously.

I found myself at the door to the Sages' room. Well, Genis's room.

No! It's still Raine's room too. She's not dead, and she won't be for quite a long time. I'm going to save her. But there's more pressing matters at the moment, believe it or not. First, I have to save her brother.

I knock softly on the door, and hear a muffled 'goway' in response. Ignoring his attempt to banish me, I slowly open the door, to find the half-elf sitting on his bed, facing away from me. Though he's my height now, and due to his half-elven blood he looks a bit older than I do despite his young age, I've never seen him look so weak. His knees were huddled close to his chest, and his arms were wrapped tightly around his bent legs, allowing his chin to rest on his knees. He could be mistaken for deep in thought, if he weren't trembling. But I guess that makes two of us who couldn't hold out any longer.

"I said go away!" He shouts, attempting to sound ferocious, but only succeeding in confirming by his wavering voice what I already know. Nobody can hear his shouting now, for these walls are thick and nearly soundproof. Nobody can come and tell me to leave him alone, let him mourn in peace. Because that's exactly what he doesn't need right now. A wise Kratos once told me, 'People need people.' So that's exactly what Genis Sage is going to get.

I come up beside him, and he turns away, trying to hide his tears.

"Genis, don't bother. It's kinda obvious. Your knees are soaked." Though those words don't sound too reassuring when read, I assure you, my voice was nothing but soft.

"Leave me alone, I hate you..." His voice is a lot less steady this time. He knows I won't leave, he's just grasping at straws by now.

"No you don't..." I reply, unclipping my sword from my waist so it doesn't hinder my motion and sitting on the bed beside him.

"Get away from me!"

"No! I won't! I won't leave you here to cry all alone!" I reply, raising my voice slightly in desperation. "Nobody deserves to be alone, Genis..."

And for the first time, he doesn't yell back. He doesn't even acknowledge that I spoke, but I know he heard me, for the shaking has increased. And I do something that I never expected I'd do. Before I realize what I'm doing, I've wrapped my arms around the shuddering half-elf, enfolded him in a comforting hug. I feel him tense up in surprise, but its too late to back out. This suddenly seems extremely familiar... And even more so when he gives in, collapsing weakly into the embrace. This is just what Yuan did for me earlier today, though I have no clue why he did it. He's always seemed so... I dunno. It doesn't matter. Right now, I gotta make Genis happy.

For the longest time we remain this way, me sitting here with the mage in my arms and his tears staining the light, airy material of the disguise I still wear. It seems like an eternity, but I know not how long it truly lasts. All I know is how it ends. Abruptly interrupted by harsh, militaristic footsteps and the throwing open of the door.

Yuan.

He surveys us first with shock, then with what appears to be a masked feeling of betrayal. The mage and I are apart within seconds, and I hastily remove myself from the bed. Genis watches us, his eyes veiled by his silver bangs so Yuan doesn't notice his tears, which he doesn't dare draw attention to by wiping away. I step toward the seraph, my eyes pleading.

"Yuan, it's not what it looks like. I swear, we weren't-"

"Tell someone who cares," the bluenette spits, turning and exiting the room before I could explain. I gaze at the door a moment, willing him to come back in, already regretting what I'd done.

"I'm sorry."

I turn to the half-elf, forcing a slight smile despite how I feel.

"Sorry for what?" I ask, and he glances pointedly to the door. I shake my head, returning to sit by him. "Genis, that wasn't your fault. It was mine."

Genis opens his mouth to protest, but shuts it again, eventually nodding.

"Now I have to go. I have to find Yuan and clear things up, and fill Lloyd and Presea in on what's going on. You're okay?"

After a moment, he nods, and I half-smile again, turning and stepping to the door.

"Sheena?" His voice calls after me just as I reach for the button to open the door. I turn to look at him over my shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"We're gonna get her back, aren't we? I mean, we can't just give up." I hesitate, recalling how easily a group of them could tear the Renegades apart. But then I look at his face, into his eyes, desperately hopeful to a degree surpassing anything I've seen in his eyes before. Only now do I truly understand how deeply he cares for his sister. And even if we were going to give up, I couldn't tell him that now. I nod.

"Hell yes we are. We're gonna get in there and kick some angel ass, just gimme some time to get Lloyd and Presea up for it." I confirm, and he grins, though it seems somewhat out of place on his reddened and tear-stained face. I grin back. "Get some sleep, you need it. I'll wake you up when we've gotta go." With this I turn and push the button, waiting a moment for the mechanical whirr of the door opening before stepping out into the hall. Lloyd and Presea are probably growing impatient... Yuan will have to wait.

I knock on the door to their room, and within seconds it opens to welcome me. Lloyd grins when he sees me, but Presea seems puzzled. Obviously she's been pondering the situation in my absence.

"Sorry it took so long." I apologize, and Lloyd shrugs.

"You were busy. We understand." Presea speaks for the both of them.

"Sorry anyways."

"No problem, Sheena. I think you've been hanging around Colette too long, now you're sorry all the time too!" Lloyd teases, and I grin slightly, despite the fact that my mind's in turmoil. Things fall silent for a moment, before Presea cocks her head inquisitively.

"Sheena, what troubles you? I sense a disturbance in your emotional field."

Same ole Presea. Too observant for anyone's good. I suppose that's a harsh way of putting it though, as it's not really a problem. It's actually a help, most of the time.

I shake my head.

"Nothing that matters. I suppose you're wondering what's going on, and why the hell we've brought you here." I change the subject quickly, and thank Martel they don't pursue the former one, nodding in response to my assumption. And so I proceed to convey to them the entirety of my knowledge on the Elite, Project HEAT, and our situation, which I'd rather not explain to you due to the fact that most of it would be redundant and boring. To Lloyd and Presea, however, it's new news, and it leaves even the taciturn girl wide-eyed.

"So they want... me?"

I nod in reply to Lloyd's question, not surprised at his disbelief.

"I'm surprised they hadn't already gotten ahold of you. The odds were severely against you. In a sense, you're lucky they captured Raine instead..."

"So when do we move?"

This time it was Presea.

"Move?" I question, and she nods.

"Move against the Elite and take back the Professor. I assume that's our plan?"

After a moment, I nod. I know, I know, I shouldn't be doing this without speaking to Yuan first. But I know that I'm going, no matter what he says.

"Sorry guys, but I gotta go. Yuan's waiting for me in his office. Meet us there in a half hour." I excuse myself, sliding from the door. No, Yuan's not waiting for me. Yes, I just told a little white lie. But yes, I did it with good intentions. I have to talk to Yuan. Now.

My footsteps echo as I jog down the main corridor to his office, making the place seem lonely and abandoned. Which, in a sense, it is. Only-... I take a moment to count in my head...- Only six people live here now, counting Presea and Lloyd. No. Seven. Raine still lives here too.

I find myself before his office door. I hesitate a moment, before knocking on the metal. For the second time today, I'm greeted with a harsh 'go away'. And for the second time today, I enter anyways.

"How did you know it was me?" I tease slightly, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Colette never bugs me, Genis is probly off crying somewhere, Lloyd is with Presea, and Presea doesn't know how to find me. Plus I figured you'd come crawling in here to try and convince me that I didn't see what I saw. Logic aside, I have a surveillance camera outside the door." He informs me, his eyes never leaving the papers on his desk. Yet once more I notice that he is either struggling with one of the words on the page, or he isn't really reading at all, considering his eyes never moved from that spot in the third line down during the whole speech.

I remember last time I saw him like this. He's only like this when he's stressed out. And the last time he was stressed out was when Raine arrived. I put two and two together… and get five. Meaning, I make no sense of the problem at all. I see no connection between now and the arrival of the Professor. But then again, I never was the thinker. Sure, I worked out a few things, but... I was more of the doer. Well, no. That was Lloyd. And Zelos was the talker, so that rules that out. Genis is, well, _was_ the tagalong, and Colette was the Chosen. Presea was the Crystal-enhanced superchild, Regal was the mature and thoughtful one… And what was I? Just... Sheena. Heh, it kinda makes me feel useless now that I think about it.

But now's no time for self-pity. There's never any time for self-pity. Now's the time to clear things up with Yuan before the others get here.

But it _does_ kinda strike a nerve to hear his voice so condescending.

"Oh, so I've come _crawling in_ have I? No, I don't recall crawling anywhere. Those scuffmarks on the floor, those are yours Yuan, yours, 'cause you come crawling off into your little office to stare at a piece of paper and go off in your own little military world whenever you think something goes wrong." My voice is carefully short of a snarl, no matter how fierce my words are. And at last he lifts his eyes from his paper, his gaze a mixture of surprise, anger, and hurt.

"Now that I've got your attention," I begin, calmer this time, "and proved that I'm one you generally would prefer not to piss off, will you let me explain?"

He surveys me a moment, apparently deciding whether it'd be worth his time, before nodding.

"Okay, good. First off, there was absolutely, positively, certainly, definitely, without a doubt, NOTHING going on in Genis's room. He just lost his sister to Martel only knows what torture—oh, get over it. If you're going to flinch every time someone says her name, you may as well just walk around with earplugs in— and I was just trying to comfort him in the only way I know how. Now if that's such a horrible crime that you decide it's worth more than our friendship, so be it. But it hurts, Yuan, to see you look at me like this. Just remember that when you make your decision."

He stares at me a moment, at loss for words, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing. After that moment, however, he leans back in his chair, exhaling heavily and rubbing his temples.

"Damned females and their damned emotions," he sighs in defeat, his tone preventing me from taking any offense from his words. I believe I've won. So I chance a smirk.

"Unless you plan on joining a male-only tribe of homosexual half-elves, you are gonna have to get used to it."

"I wonder whether or not I should take offense to that," he replies, his tone slightly amused.

Yuan's back.

A grin breaks out and spreads across my face, as out of place as it seems in the current situation, and soon he grins in response.

"It depends... If you really are gay, then I was just pointing out the obvious." I banter, and he snorts.

"If I weren't all the way over here, I'd punch you for that." He replies, and I put on a look of mock offense.

"You wouldn't dare hit a woman!" I scold, and he snorts again.

"I'm not sure you count," he starts, hastily continuing before I can act on my increasingly dangerous glare, "seeing as you're the only woman I know who could inflict serious wounds on a seraph. I think we might just be an equal match. ...But don't let it get to your head," he adds as I smirk.

"Me? Equal to the great and mighty Yuan? Why, I think I might faint!" I giggle in fake amazement, my voice slightly higher than usual. He blinks at me a moment, before bursting out in a fit of laughing. I feel my face flush. Perhaps I overdid it?

"What's so funny!? Don't laugh at me!" I protest indignantly. He shakes his head, but is unable to explain through his mirth. I snort, turning away. I wasn't _that_ stupid sounding, was I?

"No, no," he heaves, calming himself at last. "You just... That reminded me so much of Colette!"

My eyes widen, and I burst out laughing as well. And it's this scene that greets Lloyd and Presea, who choose this very moment to walk through the door. Lloyd's face looks a mixture of shock, confusion, and whatever word describes the look that means he's questioning our sanity. I don't blame him. He's probably never seen Yuan laugh in his life, and he walks in on us both almost rolling around in laughter. Presea seems confused as well, but not so much as Lloyd. I suppose he looks semi-confused _most_ of the time, but none of us hold it against him. Especially not me. Who am I to talk? He's the hero of the two worlds, and I'm just Sheena. But I'm not gonna go into that again.

Especially because I have a certain blonde to worry about.

Colette enters the room just now, quietly, and I can tell by the way she looks at Lloyd when he's looking the other way that she's not all too comfortable here. She must have heard footsteps in the hall from our room, which I remind you is three doors down on the opposite side of the hallway from this one. I smile at her, and Yuan nods in greeting, before Lloyd turns around and sees her. His eyes immediately widen slightly, before he raises a hand awkwardly.

"'Lo, Colette."

"Hello, Lloyd," she replies, offering a half-smile before taking a seat next to the one I claimed upon Lloyd and Presea's arrival. Though she smiled at him, it was merely a polite one, like when you smile at the doctor who's to cut off your arm.

Yuan glances from the tiny angel to the swordsman, then back again, before clearing his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Well, everyone seems to be here. I suppose you all want to know what we're going to do now?"

Lloyd and Presea nod, too new to make any sort of decision, and I look to Colette, but she seems to be distracted.

"Where's Genis?" The blonde inquires, directing her gaze at Yuan, who I could have sworn I saw cringe slightly. Nobody else notices it though, and I decide to step in.

"He's getting some sleep. He needs it, after what's happened." I explain, and she nods solemnly. Colette must understand how he feels; I was almost sure she too would rest rather than join us.

"This being said," begins Yuan, attempting to gain attentions once more, "we should start discussing our plan of action. I believe the logical course is-"

"To after those bastards and run them through with our swords!" I interrupt, my voice fierce.

"As much as I'd like to, we can't. They outnumber us by far. They'll have made it to the Citadel by the time we can get out there, which means we'd fight in their territory." Explains Yuan, but I shake my head.

"Yuan, don't you see?! We _have_ to go after them! They could _kill_ her, Yuan, _kill her_! I know that may be what you want, but I'm not gonna just sit around and let those bastards win!" I shoot back.

"Sheena, the risks are too great. They could shoot us down from a mile away! Don't you care!? You of all people should know about taking risks, you who got half of her people killed!" His reply is swift, and his voice is slightly venomous. I gasp slightly at the memory, as I, for a moment, watch my people fall for a second time, before I shake my head, pushing away his argument and my memories.

"Fuck off, Yuan, and leave the past out of this!" I snarl, rising to my feet. He rises to meet me, and the eyes that minutes ago had held friendship and laughter hold hostility and anger. Yet somehow, I force myself to meet them. "We can't just sit here and let Raine die! I refuse to let that happen!"

"You're not the only one who cares about her, alright!?" His voice is louder than my own, and the impact of his words shock even me. A pang of hurt races through my form, but not the physical sort. It's the same feeling as when Zelos betrayed us for Cruxis. But Yuan doesn't seem to notice. He's already sunk back into his desk, his elbows on the wood and his head resting in his palms. He speaks again, this time little more than a whisper. "I want to rescue her too, but we can't. It would be suicide for all of us."

"Yuan, don't you get it? I don't care if it kills me, but I'm not sitting on my ass, making strategies, while Raine is in there getting tortured and maybe even killed." My voice as well is soft, but my desperation is evident.

He surveys me a moment, just as he did when he was angry at me earlier. After that moment, he sighs heavily.

"It seems your decision is made, no matter what I say."

His tone is guardedly indifferent. This scares me more than any yelling he could do. This means he's hiding something. And the wrong sort of secrets can be deadly.

"Yes it is." I reply, my eyes adding an unspoken 'sorry' at the end. But he looks away.

Colette is the first to recover from the shock.

"I'm going with Sheena." She declares, but Yuan turns on her faster than you could say 'Maddox is a chick'.

"No you're not." Colette turns to Yuan, eyes wide. "If Sheena wants to get herself killed, that's her fault. I'm not letting you go too."

"Yeah, _somebody_ needs to stay here to help guard the base."

That was Lloyd. Under the mistaken impression that he's coming.

"Yeah, that somebody is you. Lloyd, they have ten or fifteen angels out there looking specifically for you. If Raine managed to get caught, not even a miracle could keep you alive out there. As much as I want your amazing fighting skills... Stay here, Lloyd. For your safety." As much as I hated to say that, it had to be said. There was no way I could let Lloyd come with me. For either of our safety. He opened his mouth to protest, but shut it again.

Presea's turn.

"I... will stay with Lloyd. I do not know enough about our enemies to be an effective partner anyways." She hesitantly adds, and Yuan nods in approval.

"So Sheena's going all alone?" Colette whimpers.

'…_**no**…'_

"Yep, I guess so. Don't worry, I'll be fine." I manage a grin, despite the fact that my head aches slightly from Shadow's outburst. My words are to reassure him as much as Colette.

Yuan won't meet my gaze. And that same pain comes back for another round. I have to get out of here, out into the open desert, before this pain gets any worse.

"I'm gonna get going now. I'll be back with Raine in forty-eight hours, time me if you want!" I grin, turning and jogging out the door. I pass my room without hesitation; there's nothing in there I want to take with me, and even if there is, I don't want to be weighted down by personal items.

Through the silent halls I weave, farther and farther away from the meeting, but my mind is still in Yuan's office. I can tell I'm gonna keep wondering what he was hiding until I return and can bug him about it.

Suddenly, a voice pulls me from my thoughts.

"Sheena!"

I whirl around, to face the bluenette half-elf that so fervently occupied my thoughts. He's running toward me, and eventually he stops, slightly out of breath. As he catches it, we stare at each other in silence, and even when his breath is caught.

"Yes?" I eventually prompt, curious as to why the hell he's in my way.

"Are you sure about this?" He eventually blurts out, and I could have sworn I saw concern in his eyes. But maybe I was just imagining things.

"Yeah. I can do it. I'll bring her back."

"Absolutely positive?"

"Yes, Yuan, I'm absolutely positive."

Another silence.

"Sheena, it's _suicide_! Don't you _care_?"

"No, if this means I'm to die, at least I won't die sitting on my ass, wishing I'd done something about it. If the fact that I'm willing to die means I don't, then no, I don't care."

"Well _I do_!"

My eyes widen, and he looks away, unable to meet my gaze.

"Yuan?" I prompt once more, but he still looks to the ground. For a minute or so. Then he lifts his gaze to mind, and I can tell by the glint in his eyes that he's determined.

"You can't go. As your leader, I forbid it." He states in his commanding tone. Stepping back a step, away from him, toward the door, I shake my head sadly.

"You can't stop me, Yuan. I'll fight you if I have to."

But even he could probably hear the uncertainty in my voice. His declaration of a minute ago shocked everything that was certain in my decision, and now I'm left with confusion.

"Sheena, _please_... You're the only one alive that I can trust. I care about you, no matter how I've tried to deny it. If they get you, I... I don't know what I'll do..." He pleads in desperation, his own voice shaky as well, and the look in his eyes is almost enough to convince me to stay.

But I take another step back as the vision of Raine passes through my mind. She wore that same exact look of desperation and hopefulness when she saw me, when I went after her and the angels.

And I know that I have to go.

I shake my head sorrowfully once more.

"Yuan, I _can't_." I whisper, before turning and racing out the door. I hear him call my name, but I don't stop. Even as the desert heat pounds down on my skin I don't falter. For only I know how close Yuan was to seeing me cry for the second time today. As much as I've tried to deny it, I know I walk to my death. There's no way I can survive this. No way I'll ever see Yuan again. Even though I want nothing more than to be back in his office, laughing and enjoying each other's company, I have to walk my final walk, to my suicide in the enemy base, and hope I take out an assload of angels on my way out.

A single tear rolls down my cheek.

No, Sheena, you idiot, you pathetic weakling, you who fears the dark abyss of death.

In Mizuho, I was always different, because I was scared of dying, when the others believed it honorable. Because I was too afraid to take risks, and the one risk I did take I got half the village killed rather than sacrificing my own life.

Another cheek, another tear.

Sheena, you wretched excuse for a human, how dare you cry. How dare you walk to the most honorable death imaginable, and shed tears of regret. How dare you think of returning to the safety of the Base, while you know that Raine is to die if you do. How dare you put your life above another's, for it means as much as the dirt at your feet.

'…_behind you…'_

I whirl around, to come face to face with Genis, heaving for breath, his face red from running.

"Sheena, how the hell could you leave without me!? You-" He cuts off right there, and through now-rounded eyes he surveys my appearance. "Sheena, you're..."

I turn my head shamefully, allowing my bangs to cover my eyes. He comes up beside me.

'…_shade…'_

Suddenly, I feel a shadow pass over us, though there is nothing tall to offer such a sanctuary. Shadow. I silently thank him for his small mercy, and sink to my knees in the sand, my legs suddenly too weak to hold me upright. Genis crouches in front of me, his gaze locked on mine, and I find I can't look away, no matter how I try.

"Sheena, what's wrong?"

"I... am worthless."

My reply seems to surprise him, for he does not answer right away, but eventually his reply comes.

"No, you are Sheena. You are a summoner, a card-user, and a determined woman who's beautiful even when she cries. You are the only one who dared risk anything to rescue my sister." His voice is unwavering, and neither is his gaze. I draw a shuddery breath, shaking my head slightly, before reaching up and wiping away my tears. The sand from my fingers finds its way into my eyes with unerring accuracy, producing an unduplicable stinging sensation, but I merely blink it away, managing to clear my eyes somewhat after a couple of such blinks.

Shaking my head in disbelief at my own pathetic state, and laughing dryly, I change the subject to what truly matters.

"Genis, why are you here? I told you to rest."

"Yeah, and you left without me. That's the last time I'm taking _your_ crack instructions." He shoots back, but with a half-smirk. I give him a stern look, or as stern as I can manage with my eyes red and cheeks wet, and he continues. "Plus, you forgot this in my room."

And from his belt he unhooks Onyxaph, which up until now I've been too busy to notice. I smile gratefully, tying it at my own waist.

"Now go back to the base, Genis. They're probably looking for you." I demand, though half of me hates myself for sending away my only company.

"No."

Heh, who knew such a simple answer could cause so many problems.

"Seriously, Genis. Go back."

"No."

"Genis, you're going to effing _die_ if you don't go back."

He shrugs nonchalantly.

"So be it. But seriously, I think we can take 'em, easy. They're just pansies with big black wings." He grins mischievously, and I sigh in defeat.

"Alright, come on. But only if you promise me one thing."

"Shoot." He replies, meaning 'go ahead'.

"If I say retreat, you have to promise me you'll run and you won't look back."

He stares at me long and hard for this one. But eventually, he nods.

"Deal."

So we walk the rest of the afternoon. Though we don't say much, his company is enough to soothe my nerves, but at the same time it makes them even worse, now that I have another life on my hands. By evening, however, we can see the Citadel in the distance. It seems to be a circular tower of some sort of black material, with a similar smaller tower on top. We stand and look at it a moment.

"It doesn't _look_ dangerous..." Genis observes, and I have to agree. Sure, the tower is tall and foreboding, but from the outside, it looks abandoned.

'…_**take cover**…'_

Trusting Shadow's instincts, I grab hold of Genis's shirt and drag us both to the sand. Moments later, an angel emerges from the building via a door at the very base of the smaller, upper tower, a heavy sword at his waist. He circles around the premises once, gazing suspiciously in our direction, before entering it once more.

"Dammit, how will we ever get in if it's guarded like _this_? They saw us this far away, we'll be shot down before we even _get_ there!" Genis whines, punching the sand.

"_Sylph_…" I whisper, and I feel a breeze pick up around us in response. "_Sephie, grant us winds from the north... Yutis, grant us winds from the south, to create a sandstorm to conceal us._" I feel the winds pick up, and the sands start to swirl. Genis looks at me like I'm crazy.

"Are you _nuts_?! We'll suffocate in the sands!" He objects, covering his head.

I don't answer though.

"_Fairess, grant us a breeze to blow the sand from our path, shield us from the storm and grant us safe passage to the Citadel."_

I could swear I hear a 'hehe, okie dokie!' in response, and a gap opens up in the storm.

I look to Genis, who is hesitantly uncovering his head, eyes widening. And I grin, despite myself. I'm not sure why... Maybe to reassure him that we're not gonna die. Even though I know I am, and it's possible he will too.

"Genis-..." I start. Alright, as welcome as his company was up until now, it's to dangerous from here on out. He needs to turn back.

He doesn't give me time to finish. "No."

I sigh.

"Come on then."

And with this I turn and dash through the tunnel. Fairess also seems to have smoothed the sands at our feet, to make for easier running in which we don't get tripped up. I hear Genis's muffled footsteps behind me, and I sense the Citadel in front of me. A flash of panic washes over me, the feeling an animal gets when a trap springs shut on its leg, that very same trapped feeling.

And then Genis is beside me, and I come back to my senses. I must have faltered in my running, for he could never catch up if I was focusing. He smirks and pulls ahead, speeding up even more.

"Genis!" I call after him, but he ignores me, running ever-faster. Okay, maybe he might be able to keep up to me when he tries. If I were really trying, this would be no contest. But since I'm trying not to wear myself out before the fighting starts, I don't sprint.

He, however, seems to find this amusing.

"GENIS! This isn't a race, you idiot, come back!" I cry again, but now he is to far ahead to hear me clearly over the sounds of the sand. I groan in exasperation. "Fairess!" I bark, and with a high-pitched giggle on the wind, a fairly compacted stalactite of sand shoots up in the half-elf's path, causing him to screech to a stop. Before he can circumvent it, I tackle him, throwing him roughly to the ground on his stomach with the side of his face pressed roughly against the sand. My knee is on his back so he can't rise, and my dagger is at his throat.

"Don't _ever_ do that again," I hiss, waiting for him to get over his shock and attempt a nod, before slipping my dagger back into my shoe. I never really intended to use it on him, I've just noticed that people think more clearly at daggarpoint. Rising to my feet again, I stand there a moment as he slowly rises as well, rubbing his back and a few other sore areas and glaring at me resentfully.

"'The hell was that for?" He growls, moving to massage his neck.

"You ran off, that's what!"

"Hmph. You didn't have to effing attack me for it," came his resentful reply. I make a snorting noise that somewhat resembles his 'hmph'.

"I'm sorry. It's just kinda stressful, to have two lives I'm responsible for and the knowledge that I'm walking into what would mean certain death if I'm caught. You, they could use you. You're half-elf. You could be an angel, with just a few adjustments. Me, I'm a pathetic human, they'll just do the world better and kill me."

He's silent, as if considering these facts for the first time.

"And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have ran ahead."

I nod, partially offering forgiveness, partially dismissing it as no big deal, now that I've calmed a bit.

"C'mon, lets go. Sylph is using their mana on this storm, we'd do best not to make them waste more than necessary."

And with this we're off. We start off at a jog to warm up again, and go progressively faster. Once again, Genis pulls ahead, but this time not too far. And once again I can hear Fairess giggle excitedly. Suddenly I feel a gust of wind from behind me, stronger than any of the others, lifting me clean off my feet, and before I know it I'm flying. If you could call it flying. My arms are spread to the sides for balance, and my body is vertically aligned, positioned as a bird in flight would be. Genis's eyes widen as I soar past him, and I can't help but smirk slightly.

"HEY! No fair!" I hear him call, and I call back one simple word:

"Jump!"

Despite the vagueness of my intentions, he does as I say, and soon the half-elf pulls up beside me in a similar spread-eagle position, though admittedly a bit more awkward. Though he tries to remain serious, he can't seem to help himself. A grin breaks out across his face. I'd be grinning similarly, if I'd not attempted this feat before.

"Sheena, this is amazing! If I were you, I'd travel like this all the time!" He exclaims, letting out a whoop as he barrel-rolls to the left.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be," I reply, but before he can question my answer, the obsidian wall of the Citadel appears in front of us. Literally, right in front of us. It can't be more than ten feet away, but up until now the sandstorm has hidden it from us. Let's hope it hid us equally well from the Elite. I pull up quickly, lifting my torso and putting my weight in my hips and legs to bring me vertical, when wind-resistance kicks in and stops me. Genis clumsily mimics the movement, managing to get himself stopped.

_Granted._

The voice of the three sprites who aided our journey whispers through our ears, and the sandstorm fades away, much faster than I would have expected considering the amount of sand involved. I bring my finger to my lips, signaling our need for silence, and make my way stealthily around the perimeter of the tower, my steps light and quick. Genis manages to keep up behind me, unusually skilled at this silent travel considering his extreme lack of training and practice.

Suddenly, something catches my eye.

I look up, and an angel is standing on the rim of the rooflike area where the smaller tower rests. He is directly above us.

I panic.

My throat seizes up, and for a second I can't move. My eyes widen, fixed on the angel who could cut our mission short. And then, through my peripheral vision, I see Genis beside me, and the responsibility for his life as well drags me from my panicked state. I flatten myself against the wall and pull him along with me.

'…_hidden…'_

For a moment, I don't know what he's talking about, before I realize that a shadow has fallen over us. Just in time too, for the angel looks directly at us a moment later. He scrutinizes the shadows suspiciously, inspects them. His eyes meet mine... If he could see me, he'd see my fear. But after that moment, he turns and walks away, and I hear a door open and close far above.

I let out my breath that I didn't realize I was holding, and beside me Genis does the same.

"That was close." He laughs nervously. I nod, laughing slightly as well, though I find no humor in the situation. It always seems easiest to laugh when I'm nervous.

And so we continue around the base. For a little while, at least. Until we find ourselves back where we started.

"You mean there's no effing door?!" Genis fumes, and I clap a hand over his mouth, 'shh'ing through my teeth. I nod upward, and his gaze follows my own.

"The door's up there," I quietly explain. "It'd make sense. The only beings who live here are angels and prisoners, and this makes so they can't be invaded, and the prisoners can't escape."

"How the hell do we get up there?" His voice is quieter this time. I open my mouth to summon Sylph once again, but close it. They deserve a break, however urgent our mission is. I ponder a moment, before opening my mouth once again.

"_Maiden of the Mists, Undine, moisten the sand beneath us. Gnome, Servant of Mother Earth, pack the moist sand into a rock using Undine's water as your bonding agent."_

We watch as the ground beneath us darkens with moisture, and is compressed forcefully into a solid.

"_Now, Gnome, lessen your gravitational hold on the platform and lift it to the rooftop of the lower tower."_

Suddenly, the earth between us shudders slightly. Genis falls to his knees, having not been expecting this. It shudders once again, then slowly lifts itself from the surrounding sand. It shudders once more before Gnome rights it, lifting it steadily and slowly upward. I drop to a crouch, for it'd be fatal if I lost my balance and fell from this height.

Looking to Genis, I find him grinning slightly. I cock my head.

"What part of this suicide trip do you find amusing _now_?" I ask dryly, and he snorts slightly.

"No, its not that. Its just... It seems really hard, to be a summoner. I mean, sure, you get to boss around cool Summon Spirits," Which wasn't exactly true, but I didn't bother to correct him, "but... they kinda depend on you as much as you depend on them. That's, what, nine or ten lives not counting your own on your shoulders? You have to worry not to deplete their mana too much, you have to consider their feelings and health as well, and you have to be creative so that when one Summon Spirit is out of commission, you can accomplish the same thing with another one. I don't think _I'd_ be able to do it."

I smile slightly. Genis has changed so much from the thirteen year old who prodded at Corrine, changed for the better. He's wiser now, it seems.

"No, Genis, I'm sure you'd make an amazing Summoner. You're smart, in tune with the elements, good at sensing what the enemy is weak against, and you have a good heart. You'd do fine." I reassure him, and he beams. "And now you should understand why I don't always fly with Sylph, or why, in battle, I save summoning for a last resort."

He nods. I suddenly realize how strange it is to be having this conversation on a rock of sand in the heart of enemy territory. Well, not quite the heart yet. More like the liver, or the spleen, or something somewhat less important like that. But still.

"Hey Genis?" I offer. He's gazing up at our destination, but he looks to me at the sound of my voice.

"Yeah?"

"How come we never talk like this when we're _not_ in extreme danger?"

He laughs slightly, before shrugging helplessly.

"I guess we're too busy planning how to _get_ in extreme danger." He jokes, and I snort slightly.

"Yeah, it seems like it. There's so much going on back at the Base, sometimes I wish I never even decided to help Yuan, but then I remember all those people the Elite have wronged, and the danger Symphonia is in if we don't stop them. But still. There's never much peace or time to talk, I guess."

"How'bout we make some?"

"Deal." I agree. But the harsh realization that we're drawing close to our destination smacks me upside the head, cutting our conversation short. Part of me wants to tell Gnome to take us down and back up again so we have more time, and to prolong the inevitable, but I know we can't.

_Raine_.

I rise to my feet, and Gnome slows the rock down, halting just low enough for me to peek over the edge without being seen. The roof is desolate. But how are we to make it in without being seen?

I put my hand to the hilt of Onyxaph, thinking quickly. Drawing it from its sheath, I pause. Will my card attacks still work with my sword? What made them work with my card? In my mind's eye, I see the intricate designs on my latest cards, weaving amongst each other in set mana patterns. And in my mind's eye, I see the Mirage Seal pattern, the lines more scattered and random than the others. And, with my eyes still closed and the Mirage Seal pattern in my head, I bring my sword's point to the sand on which we stand, and I begin to draw.

It seems like an eternity, but is only a couple of minutes, and I am done. I open my eyes, and find a crude replica of the pattern etched at our feet, glowing slightly with mana.

"Stand on this pattern, Genis. I'm going to use Mirage Seal, then we have to run as fast as we can to the first door we see. I'm not sure how long the Seal will last when we leave the pattern, but I know that to any angels who watch, we will seem insubstantial and translucent, like a desert mirage. It may last seconds, it may last minutes. Get ready." I explain, and he nods. "Gnome, leave this here and await our return, as we may need to get out of here pretty fast. Now... _Mirage Seal!_"

I feel a wave of mana wash over me, and I leap up onto the building, Genis at my heels. Immediately I spot the door, and we make a dash at it. We are only three quarters of the way there before I feel the mana start to fade, and I put on an extra burst of speed. Come on, faster, Sheena, faster!

I bound through the door just as the last tingle of mana fades away. We stand there, eyes wide, catching our breath while attempting to remain quiet. We are in a hallway of sorts, and nobody is around, but I still pull us behind a pillar and into the shadows anyways, just in case. When we finally recover from our mad dash, I rise to my feet, and he follows. I put a finger to my lips again, demanding absolute silence, and he nods. We silently walk down the hall, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end, my nerves a wreck, yet my outward appearance calm and collected. This is just another mission, Sheena. Just another mission.

Genis seems calm as well, way calmer than I feel. Is that a mask like mine? Or is he truly that at ease? If he is, I envy him. My insides are in turmoil at the moment, making me almost sick to my stomach. Lucky little bastard. But why would he worry anyways? He's going to survive this. Heh.

As we walk down the hall, however, and nothing jumps out to eat us or seize us or turn our bones to bread, I slowly start to relax. I never let my guard down, for that would be certain and immediate suicide rather than the almost-certain and gradual death that I've come to associate with this mission. But I relax slightly. I get my head together. And by the time we reach the door at the end, I've managed to collect myself most of the way.

I press my ear to the door, halting even my breathing to best hear what is going on on the other side. No voices. No footsteps. No shuffling. I wait for what seems like an eternity, yet I hear nothing. Removing my lobe from the door, I nod, pushing it open.

We enter a hexagonal room, not unlike some in the Base, with three doors strategically placed on every other wall. I step cautiously to the center of the room, looking around. Then I turn to Genis.

"I think we're sa-" But I don't get to finish. From the shadows on either side of the half-elf step two angels, their black wings out and their swords ready.

"GENIS, RUN!" I cry, just as I feel a sharp and overwhelming pain in the back of my skull. My last vision before falling unconscious is Genis retreating back through the door, and then my world fades to black.

* * *

**Spiritua:** Wow. 11,061 words. I hope it was worth the wait, guys. Seriously. lol I still owe you a million and one apologies though… Will you forgive me? –puppy eyes-

**Dragonwings: **It was totally worth the wait! Next chapter- "The Great Escape!"

...Not.


	9. Failure

**A/N:** I've noticed a trend in my writing that I would _like_ to share with you all.

I _love_ to torture my favorite characters. I guess this means I _adore_ Raine, because she seems to go through the most crap. She got beat up in my other story "Partners" too. I'm _enamored_ with Zelos, Genis, and Yuan as well, and I _feel affection for_ Colette. Now I believe I must retire though I'd be _pleased_ to stay and think up more synonyms for 'like' all day.

**OoOoOoOoOoO **

"Move!"

I'm paraded along the streets of Triet, deemed no longer much of a threat after they bound my hands with shackles. A group of five Elite guard me, three males and two females who enjoy prodding me in the back with the sharp end of their spears. By the time I reach the Elite fortress where Letram supposedly resides, the back of my Triet desert robe is in tatters and little ribbons of blood flow down my back, marking my trail. As if anyone would follow it- I had seen Sheena last, and she didn't rush to my rescue. Now it's too late, now the gates of the fortress are within reach.

"Move, you Inferior Being!"

A spear prods into my back, one too many times. I _won't_ suffer this indignity any longer. I twist around, my eyes blazing as I tackle into my captor, easily slipping off these silly little shackles they think can bind someone like me. Knocking his toy spear away, I grab his arm and hook one foot around his leg, forcing him to the floor and twisting the elbow, pushing down until it snapped with a dry crack and the lesser angel began to scream, loud and shrill and beastly.

When his friends finally came and beat me off of him, he also had a few dozen mortal wounds from the knives I had hidden on my person without their knowing. Being a half-elf specialized in learning how the body works means you know how to kill as readily as you know how to heal. The Professor is willing to utilize this knowledge with a dark glee.

A female angel claps another set of shackles onto my wrists, crashing the pommel of her sword against my temple and sending me to the ground, her booted foot connecting with my grinning and (now bloody) mouth.

Perhaps now they'll treat me with the respect I deserve, and maybe my new captor will realize I'm twice the bitch she thinks she is.

"I will _not_ be man-handled!" I say between my gritted teeth, kicking out at the angels who were now dragging me behind them, one angel on each arm while a second pair of shackles binds my feet. They decide to leave the dead Elite in the sand to eventually dry up and become sand as well, and all I can see is the single trail my feet and blood make as I'm pulled towards my fate. Shamefully, it is in this manner in which I meet the second in command of the Elite.

Maddox is just like Sheena described him, with dark hair spiked up at impossible angles and a smirk ever present on his face. Seeing him in person, he reminds me immediately of another angel I know, who walks with the same militaristic stride and arrogant attitude. Do all seraph leaders go to a certain school that cultivates this behavior or is it just the luck of the Professor to find two such specimens within a hundred mile radius? Yuan's smirking face easily overlaps with that of Maddox, and maybe it's the desert heat but at times I found it hard to make a distinction between that and the reality.

I find myself wishing that I hadn't shown such an uncharacteristic level of violence earlier and, though it might not have had the desired effect considering my current state of captivity, smile charmingly at him. I clink my shackles in a form of greeting to this former half-elf, hoping to gain his attention, though for what I honestly can't imagine. All I know is that he's the one I need to be concerned with- he's the leader of the enemy forces and Letram's right hand man. He ignores me, intent on only my captors as they report to him. I decide to let him know I'm alive, because the Professor simply will not be ignored like this.

"Is this really any way to treat your prisoners of war, Maddox?" I ask him, blood dripping from my split lip.

This gains his attention somewhat, though only as an order for the female angel to let me stand up straight so that one of her goons could drive a spear butt into my abdomen. Naturally this causes me to lose both my wind and my balance and I fall into an ungraceful heap onto the floor. Shameful. I get up to my knees, my head bowed as I take shallow, sharp breaths to try and ease the pain. If my feet hadn't been fettered together I might have been able to make a run for it, but no. I remain at the mercy of the angels.

"What is this," Maddox says, looking down at me bleeding on the toes of his boot. Glassy orbs that might have been eyes before he put on that Cruxis Crystal glitter with suppressed emotion. I look away from them to concentrate on the spear in his hand. It's no crude thing; the haft made of dark wood strong as steel and the blade intricately designed obsidian. Seeing the edge of that spearhead glinting in the Triet sun, I realize the danger of my situation for the first time. Here I was, throat exposed and bound like an animal for the sacrifice, and none would mourn be but my brother. An icy chill forms over my heart and I mentally shrug away my weakness. _C'est la vie_.

"Sir! An intruder, most likely aligned with the traitor Lloyd Irving _Sir_!" one of the males says, clicking his gauntleted right hand against his helmet in a salute.

"I'm not a traitor, I'm a Renegade," I say, and somewhere far off I hope Yuan feels proud that I acknowledged him and his organization. I guess I'm just not content with the beatings they had given me. No, no, I wouldn't be satisfied until they decided to be done with it and kill me. Self-preservation wasn't the first thing on my mind, it never was. I only ever wanted to live to care after my brother, Genis, and it's beginning to seem to me like he can care for himself. But in the meantime, the anger is still roiling inside me, and I have nothing to lose. The anger of the Professor, who doesn't follow the rules that sanity had put down, drives my actions now. I glare up at Maddox, spitting at him and his swagger and militaristic stride and handsome, cruel face.

He raises his hand as if to strike me and despite my resolve to die I throw up one arm to block it, wincing in fear of the pain to come, because no one ever said they had to kill me quickly.

"_Stop_!"

I look up when Maddox jerks to a halt, looking over my shoulder to see the impossible.

Sheena. She'd come to rescue me after all.

_Idiot_ girl!

"You…" Maddox snarls, pouring all his anger into that one accusing word. He grips his spear, hefts it up quivering with rage, and points it directly at her. "You dare interfere again?"

"Looks like the harlot doesn't have her spirit pals to help her this time, either…" one of the angels says, her fingers twitching with the urge to wrap around her pale throat and squeeze the life out of it. One by one I see them ready their weapons, fluttering their wings in excitement. I whisper for her to flee, not loud enough to be heard but surely my feverishly wide eyes could convey the message.

In response, Sheena smirks, unsheathing her new sword in a fluid motion that the angels could only hope to imitate and gracefully falls into a fighting position, her brown eyes seeking mine. _I've got it all under control! _Her eyes say, and I can't help but believe them even as the Professor rages inside my mind: Why does she have to be such a hero? Doesn't she realize she's outnumbered? Why does my heart lift when I see her standing there, chest rising and dropping with heavy, angry breaths— and I know she's only angry because _I'm_ in danger? I don't want her to save me; I've already resigned myself to death. I don't _want_ to feel hope, not if it's just going to be taken away from me again.

But Maddox isn't particularly interested in what her eyes have to say- he's too busy staring at her hands and working his jaw in an attempt to speak. "My _sword_!" he finally says, spittle flying from his mouth and his face turning livid with rage. He hurls the spear at her so fast my eyes could barely track it.

"_Kill her_!"

Suddenly, a second pair of angels grabs my feet and my insides give a sudden lurch as we defy gravity and the angels unfurl their wings, flying up to the roof of the solid black tower. I buck, trying to shake them off and fall to the ground before we're too high for me to do anything but wait. I can't help it; I needed to live a little longer even if it was only to make sure Sheena would be OK. She still had a life, it wasn't fair.

But even though I'm wearing an ex-sphere, _they're_ wearing Cruxis Crystals and had a sheer strength I simply couldn't hope to match. Craning my neck as the scenery rushes by, I realize there are no doors or windows all the way up. The only exit and entrance is through the top of the tower, and if I know anything about fortresses the prison cells were likely the farthest from the entrance. At the root of the tower, in other words.

My hope dies.

Once we reach a safe landing point the angels at my feet drop them unceremoniously, letting me be dragged along again towards the elevator that would send me to my cell.

_What a hassle,_ I think through a mind dulled with lost hope, dragged blindly into the semidarkness, _to be flown all the way up here just to be sent all the way back down again, just to get past a measly black wall…_

**OoOoOoOoOo**

"Genis, _run_!"

Sheena yells my name so shrilly her voice cracks, and before I know it I've turned tail and I'm running away so fast it's a wonder I don't trip over my own two feet. The white rectangle of light that signified the door is only a yard away, a mile away, and my chest is already burning. So are my eyes, but I can't stop to think about that now. All I have to do is reach Gnome, and he would take me back and I could quit this suicide mission.

_She made me promise to obey and I'm following orders I promised her I'd follow orders she told me to run I'm following orders I came to rescue Raine but how can I do that? Sheena…Sheena said…_

_Raine!_

I whip around, pulling out my kendama from its sheath on my belt. Once there was a time when I was so small I needed to strap it across my back to keep it from dragging across the floor, but that time is over. The power wells up and bubble inside me, frothing out of my mouth in the form of arcane symbols, pure white light spreading around me and forming a magic circle. Searing hot winds blow my silver hair back from my face, forcing me to close my eyes, tugging at the ends of my sleeve like a group of roughhousing children. And when I'm filled with this power, all my timidity is eroded away and I'm left grinning in the face of death. I feel like maybe I could be a hero. Or maybe a male version of Raine.

"Wanna charge?" I ask the angel rushing towards me, gliding on silent wings and her taciturn eyes burning with her own mana. Dodging that would be a piece of cake- she's moving like she's running through molasses since her Cruxis Crystal is set to sacrifice speed for raw destructive power. I turn my head to the side, bending away slightly as she swings. It misses, crashing into the ground with enough force to split the marble tiles and make a small crater where I had been standing moments before. I pull my hand up, pointing with my kendama directly at her.

"**Thunder Blade**!"

Pure mana bursts forth, a spearhead pointed directly at her. She leaps back, deflecting it with a barrier spell, but I had been expecting this. Not wasting any time, I quickly follow her retreat and thrust out with my kendama, jerking my wrist to the side so that the spiked ball flies out of its case and straight into her face, snapping her nose. I yank it back into its case and then smash the blunt end of the hammer-like weapon into the back of her head, sending her toppling down. The impact sends a jolt up my arms and I almost drop the kendama, gritting my teeth against the sting.

I spare a glance in the direction of the room I had left Sheena in, expecting to see her battling her way towards me as well. _Maybe if we both moved towards each other we could stand a better chance against the hordes, and then she could call Gnome and-_

My train of thought comes screeching to a halt. Sheena isn't kicking ass like she normally is- she's on the floor, completely still. Dead. Unconscious. I don't know. Three angels crowd around her, one of them carrying the war hammer that did the deed. Fat red drops fall from the blunt end, and suddenly my arms don't hurt so much.

"Get away from her!"

Leaping over the angel I had downed, I run straight back the way I came with rage fueling my limbs. Kicking, punching, and magically blasting my way through the increasing number of angels barring my path, I feel the mana begin to well up inside me again, unbidden. At first this out-of-control feeling scares me, but then I begin to realize what it is and pick up the pace. Wave after warm wave of power escalates inside me, building up and ready to explode until I find my vision actually blinded by it and by the arcane symbols that etch themselves into my mind and soul.

A new spell.

_Sweet._

I leap high into the air, impossibly high, with my kendama raised above my head until I bring it down with a resounding crash. "**_SHOCK WAVE!!_**"

Boom! The area spell hits the ground and they're outta here! A dozen angel Elite go flying back to heaven and I bounce back to my feet, hands aglow with mana as I spread a wildfire in the tower, blasting away at anyone who dared to come near a master mage.

"**Explosion!**"

And I'm almost there. I can see the bloodstains on her purple kimono. That's how close I am- how close I was until the ground began to shake under my feet. I jerk to a stop, waving my arms and rocking back and forth trying to keep my balance as the marble floor actually begins to _roll_, like waves. Jagged spikes erupt out of the ground, taking out a few score of angels at a time with each blow. Gnome's cackles fill the room, and the summon spirit's humor caused the death of the Elite.

Not knowing exactly what had happened but willing to take advantage of the distraction, I try to make the final few yards between me and Sheena. If I could reach her, we could escape…! But my feet don't move. I look down in alarm, wriggling wildly in the quicksand that had enveloped my feet, ankles, knees, thighs. Throwing one last look in Sheena's direction, I see an angel kneeling next to her and picking her up gently as a parent with a sleeping child. Somehow noticing me amidst the destruction of his troops and the mayhem that Gnome was causing, he suddenly turns towards me with his eyes wide. His mouth parts as he cocks his head to the side, sea-foam green hair swishing over his shoulder.

"Genis," he says, his voice crystal clear over the chaos.

_Letram. _The name comes unbidden to my mind. This was the leader of the enemy angels, this boy who looked like he could be my age. And seeing him now, for the first time, I know exactly who he is. It hits me with all the subtlety of a brick to the face and I feel myself choking on disbelief. And grief, yes, I grieved for him for so long, and I wonder how the Renegades couldn't have seen it before I did. The way his name was spelled- the color of his hair wasn't enough to hide it- his eyes- his face- his youth- his voice as he calls out my name as if we'd been friends, or maybe more.

_No! You're not here, I saw you die—!_

The quicksand envelops me, and then I'm free-falling through the tower of the angels. If I die, maybe I can ask the Goddess why, why do I have to go through this twice in one lifetime? My mind begins to grow dark, my vision fuzzy, and I fall into a dead faint.

**OoOoOoOoOo**

The ground shakes. My captors stagger about the hallway, grabbing onto the walls and onto each other as the very tower they built began to shudder. What on Earth? I want to laugh at how ludicrous the scene looks, but I'm too busy wondering about morbid things that only prisoners have to think of. Besides, they'd take away what little light I had if I acted up.

I'd been locked up for what my internal clock told me was three and a half hours, and as if the cell bars weren't enough I also was still bound hand and foot with cold iron shackles. Eventually the quells subside and the angels see that I'm trying hard not to laugh and quickly make menacing motions with their spears until a high ranking officer comes along and they scramble to stand at attention when he arrives.

He stands outside my cell door, regarding me with soulless eyes.

"Who is this?" he says.

"Sir, an invader sided with the traitor Lloyd Irving, _sir_."

I was getting so tired of this routine.

"A traitor," he echoes, his voice distant as he reaches down through the bars with one hand to tear my desert shawl from my head. My tell-tale silver hair spills loose into my eyes, sweat and blood making it cling to my face and neck as I glance warily at him.

But he doesn't kill me. He _frees_ me.

"A _half-elf_!" he corrects himself and his subordinates; the Professor in me can't help but say: "Yes, it does seem that way doesn't it?"

He snaps his attention to one of my captors. "She is our kin. Remove her shackles and remember that you were once a nonbeliever as well."

The Elite in charge of my captor party, one of the females, stiffens. "Sir, she killed Ragara sir. She is a danger to us if left to her own devices, she's…" the angel looks at me and I saw a flicker of fear in her eyes, bound and broken though I was. "Malicious. Ruthless, like a wild animal."

"Would you be kind to your executioner?" he asks the subordinate before driving his spear through her chest, skewering her. He lifts the dead solider up like a banner before flicking her off with a deft shake, an insect in life and the afterlife as well. I resolve not to feel pity for her.

He smiles at the remaining Elite. "Does anyone else see fit to question my orders? Let us hope that Ragara's incompetence was not contagious."

The soldiers are silent, lifting me up and taking my shackles off and giving me hope that I still had a chance of setting eyes on my brother's face one more time before I died.

The officer smiles at me, but it doesn't reassure me. "I can tell this one has much potential to become one of us."

_If_ they didn't turn me into an angel before then.


	10. Rescue Raine?

**Spiritua:** Whee! More than one PoV per chapter from now on! Don't worry, we'll still keep the same characters. I'm still Sheena, Yuan, and now Lloyd and a mystery character, and she's still Colette, Raine, and now Presea and Genis. And this is still mainly a Yuan chapter. I think. o.O

**Dragonwings: **Hooray for Mystery Character! It'll be cool, trust me. Day-am, I can't wait to read how Spiritua handles this… review or the owl will eat you! EAT YOU I SAY!

* * *

It's been two days, and she hasn't returned. Two days in which nothing's gotten done, all things on hold until she returns. Two days in which Colette has all but given up trying to talk to me, steering clear of my office instead. Two days in which I've been able to do nothing but pace restlessly about my office and worry.

'_I'll be back with Raine in fourty-eight hours, time me if you want!' _Her words echo through my mind, and I feel a stab of misery in my chest. Yesterday morning. Maybe it had taken the rest of that day to reach the fortress. I find myself imagining the course she would take, the shortest route to the city that I myself had taught her. Maybe she attacked at night, rescued Raine within two hours, and then got out without a scratch, and she's merely taking her time getting back to the Base.

But no. It's been two days

_It's been two days._

It's been two days. Sheena's not coming back.

She knew she wouldn't, even when she left. She knew she'd die out there, fighting the angels. She knew she'd be killed before she made it halfway into the tower. She's not stupid. She didn't actually think she'd return with Raine.

Yet she left anyways. I forbade her to leave, I pleaded with her not to leave, yet she left anyways. I told her how I feel about her, yet she left anyways. And watching her run away from me was like a dagger through the heart.

Because I knew even then that I'd just lost the best I could ever get. I'd just screwed up my chances.

I saw it in her eyes. She felt the same way back. For that moment before she turned her back on me one last time, I saw it. And I let her go.

I could have followed her. Only after she left did I realize I could have gone after her. I could have helped her. If I was there, she wouldn't have died. I wouldn't have let them near her if it cost me my life.

Died.

Of course she's dead. And it's my fault. I let her go. And even then, I didn't follow her. I was a coward, that's all there is to it. I left her to it alone.

I killed Sheena.

I sit here at my desk, staring at my hands, yet not truly seeing them. I feel an indescribable pain in my chest, worse than a fatal sword-wound could ever be, so painful that I'm numb to all else. I can't feel the chair I sit on, nor the breeze that I know floats loftily through the office. And I assure you, that's _not_ because of my Crystal.

Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. It seems faint, distant, yet at the same time clearer than anything I've heard in a while.

Go _away_... I don't want to talk to anyone right now.

Yet all is silent, so I hope they've given up. Allowing the knock to fade into distant memory, I resume staring blankly at my hands.

_Knock. Knock knock._

It's almost tentative this time, but still there. I fade back into reality. Apparently, whoever's there doesn't intend to leave.

"Come in!" I call wearily, and immediately the door slides open. In comes a hesitant Colette, her eyes wide with worry.

"Yuan? Are you okay?" Her voice is soft. She takes a step toward me, and the door shuts behind her.

"Do I _look_ okay?" I growl, turning away. With my angelic senses, I sense her recoiling in surprise, and I immediately feel something akin to remorse for my tone. But I'm not about to apologize. I'm sick of apologizing. Apologizing won't bring Sheena back.

I sense her stepping toward me, but I don't acknowledge her presence in any way. _Please, just leave..._

"Yuan... I'm sorry."

_She's_ sorry?

"Why the hell are _you_ apologizing?" I eventually demand, my voice carefully short of a growl.

"I'm not sure. You're all unhappy, and I think I made it worse, and also it usually helps to say you're sorry even if you _didn't_ make it worse," she explains, and I'm silent. After a minute, the blonde shuffles awkwardly.

"I can leave, if you want me to," she offers quietly, but after a moment, I shake my head.

"No... No, that's the last thing I need right now. To be alone. Heh, how can I not? I'm already alone..." I half forget I'm saying this out loud until Colette's hurt look turns to one of determination. She marches over to my chair and, before I can get a word in edgewise, she wraps her surprisingly strong arms around me in a fierce, point-making hug.

"You are _not_ alone, so don't ever say that. You have us, your friends! We'll always be here for you!" She chirps, attempting to cheer me up, but I'm attempting to get over the surprise of the sudden physical contact.

In case you haven't noticed by now, I'm not exactly good with physical contact. Except for with _her_...

But I let her hug me, let her think she's helping. The poor angel's been wandering the Base for two days, trying to make herself useful, trying to help the sullen mood. It's amazing, how she can be happy no matter what happens.

Of course, she still thinks Sheena's alive.

I feel a lump rise in my throat, and apparently Colette feels it too, for she hugs me all the tighter. And, despite myself, I find myself relaxing into the hug, succumbing to it's warm, comforting aura. I sense her starting to smile, and it warms my heart a bit, to know that I've satisfied the blonde's need to make others happy. For it is a need, I've noticed. If she can't bring joy to another, she starts to wonder at her self-worth. And she can't wonder at her self-worth.

That'd be stealing _my_ job, now wouldn't it?

_Knock knock knock._

_AGAIN?_ Who _else_ wants to bug me? I swear, if Genis comes in and tries to give me a hug, I'll run him through with Swallow. Don't think I won't.

Wait. Genis went with Sheena. Simple math: Genis is dead too. Eh, I never really liked him, but _still_. He was an okay kid, he didn't need to up and get himself killed like that.

Oh yeah, there's someone at the door. I rise to my feet, mostly to force Colette to end her hug without hurting her feelings, and call, "Come in."

Once more the door slides open, and this time, in comes Lloyd, a grin on his face.

"Genis is back!" He crows jubilantly, and a grin spreads on Colette's face as well. My heart lurches. Genis. Not Genis and Sheena. But why do I get my hopes up? I've already resigned myself to the fact that she's gone. Still, the other two have raced from the room, their footsteps echoing down the hall, and I am drawn to the boy now too. No, not like _that_, imbeciles. I mean I need to speak to him, converse with him. After all, he was there. He was with her. He probably _watched_ her die.

I find myself hastening down the hall as well, following the squeals of delight to Genis and Raine's room. At last entering the room, I find Genis sitting, telling the others what occurred with relieved grin on his face. Colette looked disheveled, as if she'd just removed herself from one of her familiar bone-crunching hugs, and Lloyd seems ready to hug the boy as well. Presea stands slightly to the side, seeming pleased with his safe return as well. A large mole-like creature is sitting on the bed beside him.

_Gnome_.

Does this mean... Sheena may still be alive? Why else would _Gnome_ be here?

"-and I zapped the next one with my Thunder Blade, and then another one came but I was ready for it, and I-"

I step into the room, and the crowd parts to let me through, all jubilation silenced. I pay no attention to any but Genis. He meets my gaze for a moment, but looks away. But I don't blame him for it. Nobody can look into my eyes. Nor could I look into my own right now.

They all know what I want from him.

I halt before the silver-haired teenager, getting to one knee to be down at his level. He looks even _further_ down, making a point to avoid catching my eye.

"Genis..." I start, my voice soft so only the two of us can hear. "Tell me she's safe."

He shakes his head sullenly. I bite my lip as a stab of pain races through me, seizing me around the throat and choking the air from my lungs, stabbing me through the heart and making me numb once more. He can't see this however. He just sees me in a moment of thought, before I nod in acceptance, rising to my feet. I look to Gnome, but he is gone. Just like she is.

I step back, taking a seat in the back of the room. Everyone's gaze is upon me, wondering what their proud leader will do next.

"Yuan, what now?" Colette asks hopefully. I shake my head weakly, my gaze on my lap.

"What are we gonna do about the Elite?" Tries Lloyd, but I shake my head again.

"Yuan, we must try again. We must not let them triumph." This was Presea. I just continue shaking my head.

"Yuan, come _on_, we have to go back in there and kick some ass!" Genis. Same response.

"Yuan, _please_?" Colette again, her eyes brimming with tears. I look up to her, meeting her gaze with my own. _Colette, please try and understand. I can't. I can't do this anymore..._

"You're all dismissed. I'll call you if I have any further orders," I offer, attempting at my commanding tone. Apparently, I failed to make it sound like an order, as they all continue to stand there.

"_If_ you have any further orders?" Lloyd asks incredulously. "You're not gonna give up now are you? They might still be alive, and we're just giving up?"

I turn on Lloyd, barely hiding the snarl I feel coming forth. "Unless you have a better idea, Irving. Oh yeah, I forgot, you're the _hero_, of _course_ you have a better idea." My sarcasm is evident, and he recoils slightly. Good. Recoil, Lloyd. Maybe enough of this will piss you off, and you'll leave me alone. You who is cruel enough to get my hopes up with no chance of success.

Am I losing my mind? I wonder this, reflecting upon the day's events. I've been acting the part of a rabid animal, and acting it very well, lashing out at everyone and everything who's tried to help me. But I don't need help. I don't _want_ help. I just want them to leave me alone...

I'm suddenly so very, very tired. I run my hands through my hair and lower my head, feeling the pressure press down on my shoulders, beating down on me like the merciless heat of the Triet sun. "They're dead," I say to the room. "And you're all fools if you think otherwise."

"No they are _not_!"

I look up in surprise as Genis leaps to his feet.

"Gnome told me…" he struggles with his words. "Gnome told me that Sheena ordered him to get me out but leave her there. He wouldn't tell me anything else," he adds quickly before I can bombard him with questions, "But I know Sheena's alive. He's connected to her- he'd go back to the temple of Earth if she was really- gone."

I notice he says nothing about Raine, so I decide to be the Devil's Advocate. "And Letram would welcome two Renegades with open arms," I say. "Fine. She might be alive. According to the Fortune Teller they _need_ her to be alive."

Even if I am the Devil's advocate, it's painful to say what I know to be the truth.

"But only barely, if this Letram knows what he's doing."

"Yuan, I saw him, and I don't think… I saw Letram. He's..." Genis starts, but trails off, as if at loss for words. He snatches a notepad off his nightstand, taking a pen and scribbling something down. He then holds it out to me. I rise to my feet, stepping toward him to grab the pad. It read one word, a familiar word though I had never taken the time to study it as Genis was asking me to do now.

Realization hits me with the force of a train, and my eyes widen in horror- irrational horror, it's only a _name_ for the love of... but…but… I drop the piece of paper as if it were coated in acid, staggering backwards away and drawing my cape over my chest defensively. My mind is raging, thoughts swirling in anger and fear and bitter confusion.

No! It can't be! That's impossible! She's _dead_!

"What's wrong?" Colette whimpers in uncertainty, her eyes rounded as well. She reaches down and plucks the piece of paper off the ground, examining it closely. Realization dawns on the blonde as well, and her eyes grow rounder still, her mouth open in a silent gasp.

"What, what is it?!" Demands Lloyd, leaping forward and snatching the paper. Presea comes up beside him as he reads, her surprise subdued but still somewhat obvious. A look of puzzlement comes across his face. "What's wrong with you guys? L-E-T-R-A-M, that's all it says!"

"Lloyd, backwards, it's-"

"_Martel_," I whisper, at the same time as does Colette, our voices interrupting Presea's explanation. He looks skeptical.

"Nuh uh, he _couldn't_ be Martel. I mean, Letram's a _guy_!" Lloyd objected, and Genis shook his head. Whatever spell this is, whatever madness that's taken hold of Genis and Colette and I, Lloyd seems to be immune to it. And Presea… no one can tell what that girl is thinking.

"You should have seen him, Lloyd. You would have seen it. Letram... He looks exactly like Mithos, the greenish hair can't hide that. Do you think it could be?"

I look to my feet, unsure of how to respond. I don't know what, but I know something happened between Genis and my former comrade, some sort of bond was forged, and he hasn't yet accepted that Mithos was truly gone.

"Genis... Mithos is dead. Completely dead, with no chance of ever coming back. I'm sorry," I explain softly, despite the denial in my heart, and he averts his gaze. After a moment, the half-elf sighs in defeat.

"Yeah, I know. I always have known. I just saw him, and he looked so much like Mithos, and... I guess I just get my hopes up, that's all."

I nod knowingly. "You're not the only one."

My angel senses remind me that there are others in the room, and I glance to Lloyd, Presea, and Colette, who are shuffling awkwardly.

"Did I not dismiss you lot?" I question rhetorically, knowing full well that I did.

"Yeah, but... You're not really gonna give up, are you?" Colette asks hopefully. I sigh, shaking my head.

"As soon as I can come up with a plan, I'll tell you, all of you. Until then, please, try not to pester me about it." I offer, and Lloyd and Colette break out into grins. Even Presea seems happy.

"Yes _sir_!" The former two reply in unison, offering a salute and scurrying joyously from the room. The taciturn girl lingered behind a moment.

"Yuan... It wasn't your fault. She did what she felt was right," she offered hesitantly, apparently unused to giving reassuring advice. I gaze at her a moment, before nodding. If only I could believe her words...

"Presea? You coming?" Lloyd poked his head back in the door, and the girl in question turned to face him, nodding. With a glance back at me, she followed him out into the hall, and the door closed behind them. Genis and I sit in silence a few minutes.

"So what are we going to do?"

"Hell if _I _know. I'll have to further study the Elite's activity for a while, look for a weakness..." I muse, half to myself.

"Then we kick their ass?"

After a moment, I nod. "They've killed two of our numbers. This means _war_."

…

'_...master...'_

…

'_...summoner, awaken…'_

…

'_...will not let you die…'_

…

I am drawn from the darkness that envelops me by a familiar, rasping voice. First, that is all I am aware of, and though I cannot place who it belongs to, the voice is comforting. Perhaps it is because the being seems concerned with my survival. But at the same time, I cannot grasp exactly who I am to begin with. I am an entity, that I know for sure, but my name? My appearance? My being?

I remember the sense of touch, and all of a sudden I feel a blinding pain in my skull, as well as a nagging ache covering the rest of my body. At the same time, however, I feel a strange warmth and serene power, accompanied by a steady, rocking sensation.

_Martel_.

Wait, who is this Martel? The name brings me a sense of comfort, but I do not dwell on it.

I remember suddenly the sense of hearing, and I hear footsteps, as well as the steady breathing of another. Footsteps, yet I do not feel my feet moving. I am being carried.

I remember as well the sense of sight, and as my eyes slide open, I am greeted by a familiar, yet at the same time foreign face.

And now I remember who I am. I am Sheena, Sheena Fujibayashi of Mizuho. Everything comes cascading back into my mind, all about my life, the Journey of Regeneration, the Renegades, my friends, Yuan, the Elite, Project HEAT, and... my attempt to rescue Raine.

My suicide mission.

Yet somehow, I survived.

'…_alive…'_

Shadow. That voice belongs to Shadow.

'_Yeah, I am. I don't know how, but I made it.'_

'…_thank you…'_

Suddenly, I am acutely aware of the fact that my body is resting in the arms of someone else. More specifically, someone else that I don't know. I look up, and come face to face with the being I'd come to destroy. Yet, strangely, I no longer feel malicious toward him. Instead, I am drawn to him, to the warmth and peace that he radiates, to the innocence shining in his eyes. He seems only about Genis's age, seventeen at max. This is Letram, the man who leads the Elite, the man who commands Maddox and all his other cronies, this teenage boy? Though I'd never before considered this possible, Letram seems curious, like a small child, yet at the same time all-knowing, like... like Mithos looked, before he died.

Now that I look at him closely... He does look a lot like Mithos. Same facial structure, same curious eyes... But hell, I was just knocked on the head so hard I nearly forgot who I was, so my speculations aren't exactly the most dependable at the moment.

"Letram..." My voice is weak, but he hears me anyways. The angel seems surprised at my awakening, but after a moment, he smiles slightly.

"Sleep..." One word is all he says, but I find myself unable to resist, and within moments I've faded back into the darkness.

* * *

I am suddenly aware of being cold. Not just slightly chilly, but cold enough to shiver. I open my eyes to find that I am no longer in the arms of Letram. No, instead, I am in a disheveled heap on a cold, damp floor, the all-too-familiar form of Maddox standing above me, a smug smirk on his face. He gives me a rough prod with his foot, and I find that it hurts far worse than it should have. My pain fades back into focus, and I suddenly ache all over, the heart of it once again in my skull. Another prod, but this time I snake my arm out to grab his ankle, trip him. But I can't. My eyes widen in alarm. I try again, and this time I succeed in moving my arm, but my movements are sluggish, as they would be if I was moving through water.

He smirks, stepping back out of reach and bringing his foot down on my hand as it passes where he just was. "Not so tough now, are you?" I gasp in pain as my hand is crushed beneath his boot, gritting my teeth.

"Are you going to _cry_?" he wants to know.

"Never," I spit. But the word doesn't come out. My tongue feels thick, and I am unable to give him more than a mutinous glare and a growling noise in my throat.

"Pathetic. I don't see what they see in you." With that, he turns and walks away. My eyes follow him as he steps out an iron-barred door, turning to the guard posted beside it.

"You're dismissed. Lock the exit on your way out. I highly doubt these two will find a way out of their cell, especially with the ninja in her current state, but in case they do, they won't make it past the locked door," Maddox instructed, and the guard nodded in affirm, following Maddox past the cell with a sneer at Sheena. She could hear footsteps receding, then a door opening and closing, and finally the metallic _clink_ of the lock shifting into place.

_Drugged_, I realize. I've been drugged by those bastards, that's why I can't do anything.

"_Come, Celsius_!" I attempt to summon, but I find that my tongue is still too thick, and all that comes out is an incoherent grunting.

'_Shadow?'_ I tentatively call out with my mind, but no answer comes. For a moment, I panic; did they even cut me off from Shadow?

'…_your call… it is faint…'_

Relief washes over me, and if I could make my muscles work right, I'd probably smile right now.

'_They drugged me, Shadow, those dirty bastards drugged me!'_

I feel a sudden warm tingling coming across the mana link that bonds our minds, and I recognize it as his attempt to comfort me.

'…_you are…unharmed?…'_

'_I ache all over, and my head hurts like hell, but... yeah, I'm fine. I'm in some kind of a cell right now.'_

'…_if they harm you in any way, I shall bring their entire tower down on top of them!'_

My eyes widen in shock at the ferocity in his voice, and at the fact that he spoke such an un-fragmented sentence.

'_No! You can't!'_

'…_master is powerless to stop me…'_

'_Shadow, please! They want me because I can summon, remember? This means they want YOU. You and the other summon spirits. If you show up here, they'll get you, they'll capture you. Please, stay away. Stay far away.'_

'…_as you wish…'_

Before our conversation can continue, I feel another being come up behind me. My eyes widen in alarm; could it be another angel? Plenty enough want me dead, so that's not unlikely. With weakened arms I lift myself into a sitting position, turning as quickly as I can to face the one who approaches.

They are shrouded in shadows, so I can't make out their face or figure, but somehow, they seem strangely familiar.

"_Sheena_?"

My eyes widen once more in recognition.

_Raine?_ I don't even bother to voice my question, for my tongue is still thick and I still cannot speak coherently. Goddamn angels and their goddamn drugs.

She steps toward me from the shadows, and I half-grin with relief. She's alive, safe, though admittedly a bit roughed up. At least she's okay. Raine hesitates only a moment, before wrapping me in a relieved embrace. My eyes widen in surprise—since when does Raine _hug_ people?—but I am too weak from the drugs to do anything but allow it. I'm so glad for the warmth of her body in this dismal place, especially when the familiar healing light spreads from her fingertips over my wounds in a minor healing spell. She's too beat up to do much else, but I can already feel the poison draining from my system. Upon concluding the embrace, she holds me at arms length, examining me closely.

"They drugged you, didn't they?" She asks softly, and I nod, wondering how she could tell.

And all of a sudden, things change. Her eyes grow fierce, almost angry, and her grasp on my shoulders is tighter.

"Sheena, you fool, why did you think you could take them on your own!? You could have been hurt, or _killed_!" She rants, and I flinch, unwilling to mention the fact that I wasn't alone, that I had Genis with me, or the fact that I'd known I'd be killed even before I left. She'd probably thwap me for either one, and my head already hurts enough. "Ugh, I can't believe you. You went and got yourself caught, even though you _know_ that puts them one step closer to their goal. I figured you'd have more brains than that."

"Have you ever stopped to wonder _why_ I came?" I find myself able to speak now, though only softly and slowly. "I came to rescue _you_, because I couldn't let you die. And if I died myself in the process, at least I'd die trying."

Her eyes widen in surprise, but only for a moment before they narrow suspiciously.

"Yuan put you up to this, didn't he?"

The ache in my chest only gets worse at mention of his name. I don't know how long I was out of it, but I do know it was long enough that he probably thinks I'm dead. _Don't give up hope, Yuan. Please, don't give up hope._

"Get over it, Raine, he's not your toy anymore. Sure, he wanted to rescue you, but he knew anyone who came would probably be killed. I was the only one determined enough to resist his demands that we stay at the Base. He didn't _put me up_ _to_ anything. I came because I _care_, but I guess that's too hard a concept for one as intelligent as you to understand."

My tone is icy, despite my difficulty speaking properly. Sure, I kinda bit her head off, but it irked me, how she assumed that I only came because I was told to. What, is it impossible that someone cares about Raine Sage besides Raine Sage? It's called a _friend_, I'm sure she's heard of those a few times...

She is silent for a while, apparently surprised by my tone and my words.

"Sheena, I apologize... You came all this way to rescue me, and I greet you like _that_. I just... I suppose I'm just better at seeing the manipulating side of people, so it's hard to recognize something sincere." She offered quietly.

"Apology accepted."

And for the first time in quite a long time, I saw Raine Sage smile. Not just a half-smile, or a smirk, or one of those fake smiles. But a real, honest to Martel smile.

This whole 'rescue Raine' thing was totally worth it.

* * *

**Spiritua:** Mwahahaha. Poor Yuan, I feel so _bad_ for him. And poor Sheena too. Wait till she realizes they took her sword. x-X Anyways... I replied to most of your reviews, but you haven't gotten the replies because the alert system is down. I trust that's the reason we're lacking reviews as well? Good. Read and Review if you do find this before the alerts are back. Actually, R&R either way. :D 

**Dragonwings: **Yay Lloyd and Presea goodness...


	11. The Great Escape!

**D-wings**: I am so sorry! So sorry! Really, really sorry for the long wait! I strongly suggest you add this to your alert list so you know when a new chapter is up. Really, it's just been one thing after another. But here is finally chapter eleven of Project: H.E.A.T.! Aren't you excited? Well, aren't you?

So yeah. Raine and Presea sound very similar since they have formal ways of speaking, but there are subtle differences. Raine can be a lot more morbid and dry; Presea is robotic and never uses words like "they're" or "you're" or "can't". It's "they are" and "you are" and "can not". Presea never shortens them. It's hard to keep track of. I hope this chapter isn't boring! And I can't wait to see Spiritua's take on Lloyd and… the mystery character that is yet to be revealed! My chapters from now on will probably be Colette/Genis chapters and Raine/Presea chapters.

I love Raine. She's so violent.

ENJOY!

**OoOoOoO**

**-Raine-**

I open my eyes blearily, expecting to see Maddox or one of his cronies enter to try and convert me to their twisted religion again. I open my eyes, blind in this semi-darkness, and I yearn for an end to it all. But another feeling conflicts with this- the need to see the sunlight one more time, to see my brother and Sheena and Colette and... and Yuan, too. Many times I have been faced with near death, but I supposed I must be blessed to have only had brushes with them. A strangled yell; my heart beating out my life's blood as I waited fervently for life to return from the hands of one of my companions clumsy attempts at healing spells... There was never true time for thought.

Now, there is little else I can do but think, and pray for salvation.

I close my eyes and only open them again once the door is closed and whatever the guards had tossed in here- food, probably- was lying on the ground a few feet away. I am already beginning to get used to the gloom of the dungeon, and that frightens me. I don't want to become accustomed to this; I don't want to accept this captivity for however long it may be forced upon me.

I hear a groan. Blinking several times, I freeze in my corner of the cell and wait, completely still, until I hear it again.

"Sha... Shadow..." the suspicious new lump on the ground says.

_Sheena?!_

My heart fills with a vast feeling of love and happiness for the end to my solitude... abruptly shut off by the horror clenching my belly. The Elite had captured Sheena, and done Goddess only knows what to her. I get to my feet and cautiously approach her, still not certain if this is real or not.

"Sheena?" I venture, hating how uncertain my voice sounds. Sheena groans again and there is no mistaking her clear, sweet voice in pain. She gets to her knees and looks at me, eyes fogged with sleep and confusion, and then they grow somewhat lucid as she recognizes me and reaches out to me, mumbling something incomprehensible. She looks terrible- roughed up, poisoned, what else? Just by looking at her, my trained healer eyes can tell she's been drugged with something strong. Eyes overflowing, I practically lunge at her and pull her close, cursing her for trying to be a hero and cursing myself for being so helpless. All I can do is heal her, but that seems to be enough; her eyes cleared up and she could finally speak, but not before I let her have a piece of my mind.

"Sheena, you fool, why did you think you could take them on your own!? You could have been hurt, or _killed_!" I rave at her, pushing her back at arm's length so I could vent my frustration. I am so scared- so scared to think that she might have been tossed in here a corpse instead of badly injured.

My worry for her doesn't lessen my irritation. "I can't _believe_ you. You went and got yourself caught, even though you _know_ that puts them one step closer to their goal. I figured you'd have more brains than that!"

That hurts her. Tough luck, Sheena. I may care for you, but damn it, someone needs to be realistic here. She spouts off some heroic nonsense about trying to save me or die trying, and I listen with continuing disbelief. It seemed impossible to me that anyone would want to risk their life so foolishly, and especially for my sake. Who was I to Sheena, or Yuan, or Colette for that matter? Why would they-

_Yuan._

Cold, cold anger burns. "Yuan put you up to this, didn't he?" I demand, shaking her. Damn you, Yuan! How could he have dragged Sheena into our problems? Of course, I had done the same... but I never put her in danger like this!

"Get over it, Raine, he's not your toy anymore. Sure, he wanted to rescue you, but he knew anyone who came would probably be killed. I was the only one determined enough to resist his demands that we stay at the Base. He didn't _put me up_ _to_ anything." The ninja pulls away and I clench empty air, wishing it was her. "I came because I _care_, but I guess that's too hard a concept for one as intelligent as you to understand."

I grit my teeth. Sheena has a nasty habit of making wish I had kept my sharp tongue silent. Glancing aside, I apologize. It's just so... hard to see when someone is being sincere.

"Apology accepted," Sheena huffs, also not meeting my gaze. I look at her... and I smile.

Yes, even the Professor can smile.

"Let's find a way out of here," I say, quickly getting my emotions under control and standing up, filled with an energy I thought I had forgotten how to muster. I was still partially shackled to the floor, even though the Elite angel who had called me his kin had ordered that my heavier chains been taken off. Sheena, though, was completely free to move about as she wished. Perhaps our captors had not taken into consideration that she would be mobile so soon after her poisoning, and they would probably be back soon enough to finish what they started. Of course, this is pure conjecture, but I find it hard to believe that Maddox would leave her alone for so long if he knew she was able to get into all sorts of mischief that ninjas are prone to get into... mischief involving broken locks and fractured bones.

**OoOoOoOo**

**-Presea-**

I think... no, I am positive that no one has ever made me feel so confused. Emotions themselves are a hassle to deal with; conflicting ones even more so. No one has ever made me feel at home, at peace... and beneath it all a boiling turmoil of anxiety. No one, except Lloyd Irving Aurion, that is. I love him, it is a very simple thing to think about and acknowledge to yourself when you are alone at night and you have nothing to do but think to occupy your time, but not so simple to speak it aloud. Love is an emotion or a state of being, when you wish to devote effort and time into the care of a certain other person due to family relationship or a close friendship that has developed over time.

This is, of course, paraphrasing supplemented with personal experience. I like to think about love a lot. It is a very pretty concept.

And thinking is a pleasure in itself, a pleasure that was denied me for sixteen years.

_Oh._ I shake my head slightly, as if to wrench my train of thought back on its proper course. Sometimes, I find that my logical progression of thought can be distracted by personal feelings. It is an odd sensation to get used to, like love. Love is, by definition, simple. It is simple, so why have three years gone by and I still have never worked up the nerve to tell him the extent of this feeling? I have said the three magic words- obviously they are not literally magic, but figures of speech can be quite amusing- to him, several times. He responded in kind, each time, awkwardly. Both he and I share this in common. Perhaps it is our mutual dislike for openly discussing emotions that has brought us together. There is logic in this statement, and I always follow logic. We- Lloyd and I- do not need to talk to know- we know by experience, each other's mood and well-being. Some days, we travel without a word. It a silent trust and admiration that delve deeper than simple _friendship_.

I have always been, and probably always will be, the taciturn girl who stares at the world with dead grey eyes and sees… nothing. The strict order that rules my life is meaningless when compared to the rich life Lloyd has led as a swordsman and eventually a hero. But even _nothing_ has a definition, nineteen definitions to be exact. I used to see nothing and despair. Now, with Lloyd to guide me, I see _nothing_ and I see it to be only a space that can be filled with _something,_ like my mindless doll heart has been filled.

If I had not known better, the day I realized that Lloyd loved me as more than the sister figure my physical appearance displayed but for _me_, the woman trapped in a doll's body, I would have said that Lloyd must have been a half-elf, for he surely must have put a spell on me. Of course it had been only fancy, as my mind tends to do these days, but I doubt anyone can ever stir my fancy the way Lloyd does.

I feel his hand slide into mine. I squeeze it, and we walk to where our room is, following the orders Yuan had given us. I do not mind following orders- at least, now I do not. Now I have the ability to reject those orders completely, and I receive a sense of pure release from that knowledge.

"I'm just so glad Genis is safe, y'know? I feel a little bad for saying it, but at least he got out..." Colette sighs, one hand to her chest. The blond seems ignorant of our small display of affection, but I wonder if she is truly not noticing or if she chooses to ignore it. Colette is selfless like that. I believe that I love Colette, perhaps in a different way than I love Lloyd, but certainly no less.

When Lloyd placed the key crest on the Ex-sphere that would have absorbed my life, one of the first things I heard was Colette. Of course, Colette was screaming her lungs out because she was being abducted by Rodyle. But she had done it to save me… to save a girl she knew nothing about, a girl who was not a girl but was a woman who was a doll shaped like a girl. It was not out of pity… it was out of the love she holds for all living things. Colette is a saint. Words cannot describe Colette. Words cannot describe the way I feel about her, and the guilt that figuratively hovers over me. She would have died for me… and I took away Lloyd, perhaps the only person she held above all others.

"Yes," I agree with her aloud for her benefit, even though I would have kept my silence. Colette always had a way of making me speak. "We should be grateful that at least Genis escaped alive."

I slip my hand out of Lloyd's... also for Colette's benefit. It is probably enough discomfort for the girl to know that Lloyd and I are sharing a room. Even if said room had two beds, and both are being occupied, it must keep her awake at night to know another girl might be with her love.

I truly feel sorry for Colette. At one point, I even tried to break away from my growing attachment towards Lloyd in order to boost her chances of being with him in the end. To the surprise of everyone, I need not have bothered. Lloyd chose me in the end... that night in Flanoir, he rejected Colette outright. I was there, that night in the snow. I saw her tears turn to ice.

"What shall we do now?" I ask aloud to no one in particular. My personality dictates that I am not a very assertive person. I work better when there is someone else around to give me guidance, and Lloyd has always done that for the years I have had the pleasure of knowing him.

"I dunno," Lloyd admits, biting his lower lip. "I really hate to say this, but Yuan is probably our only hope right about now. I mean, come on... he's the leader of this outfit, isn't he?"

"Yeah, Yuan's the boss," Colette says softly, running nervous fingers through her long blond hair, bent over with her eyes concentrating on the floor in front of her. "Honestly, I'm still confused about a whole lot of this."

Suddenly, I want to hold Lloyd's hand again. A fear grips at my chest, a fear of the unknown, and of another battle to take place like the one from the Journey of Reunification. I control myself, not wishing to lay my burdens on the man I love. "Perhaps..." I speak without thinking, yet another nasty habit I have picked up. "Perhaps... we should talk to Genis?"

For an idea that flowed from the space in my mind where it was conceived directly to my open mouth, it was a master plan.

"If anything, it will at least help Lloyd and I catch up with the rest of you," I continue my blabber. "Genis and you, Colette, both collectively know more than Lloyd and I do. Perhaps if we were to gather all of our knowledge on this subject we could arrive at our own conclusion without relying solely on Yuan's intellect?"

"Good idea, Presea!" Lloyd says, but he can always be counted to say that. Sometimes his emotions get the better of his honesty. I look to Colette expectantly, waiting for her approval to my idea. When she nods and murmurs her assent, we make our way to Genis's room, where we find the boy sitting on his bed, half pulling his shirt off to reveal a nasty bruise on his side.

"O- oh!" he stammers, bright red as he quickly pulls his shirt back down. "Sorry. I must have gotten roughed up without knowing it, back in the tower." His face darkens for half a second, though he quickly gets over it.

"Adrenaline," I say. This must be the most I have spoken in quite a while. "I have..." I reach into my canvas back-pack that I carry with me everywhere. "...Apple gels."

"Thanks, Presea," Genis mutters, taking the offered gel. I am silent, content to listen to Lloyd and Colette explain my idea. Genis nods and we sit down. And for the first time since we have arrived, someone explains the story so far in calm, if somewhat deadpan, voice.

Poor Genis. He must miss his sister.

**OoOoOoOo**

**-Raine-**

"Help me," I sob at the door, scratching at it, my fingernails already starting to feel loose, sore, and bloody. "Please! Please, get a healer; I'm going to die... _please..._!" I break down into helpless shivers, wet hiccups interspersing my wretched crying. I shift into a crouch, my chains clinking noisily, and cry until twin rivers etch their path down my pale elfin face.

I am begging for my pathetic life.

After a lifetime of this misery, I finally hear the cell door open. Rusty hinges scream louder than I had and an irate Elite steps through the door with her spear at the ready. "You will cease your noise before I-!" she shouts, but doesn't get very far.

I stand up, my unlocked chains falling into a loud heap around me and my lips pull back in what I don't doubt must be a very scary smile. Lunging forward, I tackle into my captor as Sheena's dark shape leaps over us both, landing her feet squarely on the chest of the second Elite guard watching over us. With Sheena's silk pink _obi_ in my hands, I wrench it ruthlessly around my Elite's neck and snap it taut, shutting off her windpipe. From somewhere in front of me, a small part of my mind registers the dry and brittle crack as the other Elite's neck is snapped by Sheena's deadly ninja-trained hands. The rest of me is too busy trying to subdue my angel with only a thin bit of silk wrapped around her neck to keep her from shouting out for help. She grabs at my wrists but too late- I reach in and chop my hand down sharply on her throat. I don't know if that finishes the job, but I don't get a chance to check. Sheena grabs my shoulder and wrenches me off of the girl, pulling me along as she runs full speed, the fallen angel's spear in her hand.

"Where?" she snaps, full lips pressed thinly together, her eyes wide in either fear or excitement.

"This way!" I say, speeding up and pulling on her little hand. This is a mad attempt, but we couldn't sit in that cell for long, and Sheena was free to pick my locks. We wouldn't have gotten another opportunity like it. Of course, it helps that I completely memorized the route from my cell to the area where I was brought into the tower.

We run in silence through the dead tower, hearing only the sounds of our muted breathing and muffle footsteps.

**OoOoOo**

**D-Wings**: This is just to let ya'll know I'm alive!


	12. The Great Escape Part Two!

**Spiritua:** Sorry it took so long. Writer's block, you see. Feel free to kill me. Plus, I was kinda bummed for quite a while that you guys said that, after my 9000 word chappa, her short little Presea part was your favorite, but... Ah well, I've gotten over that little bit of jealousy and I'll try and write a good chapter regardless. :D

**D-Wings:** I love love love love this chapter, because of a certain blue-haired seraph! Love love love love love love love love...

**OoOoOo**

"Come on, you, or it'll be your life!" I growl with as much malice as I can, giving the silver-haired half-elven 'prisoner' before me a harsh shove. I feel her tense in mutiny, and I realize I may have shoved a little too hard, so the next one is half the usual strength in a form of apology. It's almost impossible to function in this Elite getup, but it was the first we could find with something to cover my face, and we couldn't afford to search any longer. My heart is racing with adrenaline and fear, and I thank Martel that Yuan isn't around, since he could feel my anxiety like I can feel a piece of ice pressed to my skin.

My chest aches slightly at the thought of him, and once again I am haunted by the look on his face in the moment before I turned and fled, but I bite my lip and jerk my head slightly to shove the thoughts away. After a moment, I scratch my neck in a slightly exaggerated fashion, to cover up my 'issues'.

"_Fleas,_ Margot?" I hear an Elite man sneer, and I realize that, where his own uniform has the outline of a dying star, the uniform I'm wearing has an insignia on the right shoulder of a skull without a jawbone. With a lurch in my stomach, I realize that these dinky little designs must be some way of identification. I'm afraid to trust my own voice, for fear I sound nothing like this _Margot_ in question, whose body lies about six halls back in a pool of blood, so I jerk my head noncommittally, and half-mocking laughter ensues. I don't know exactly who this man is, nor the Margot whom Raine killed with a spear through the neck from behind, but I can tell by the tone of this Elite soldier's voice that when he finds her dead, he'll want our heads on a platter.

I give Raine another shove to hurry her up, but she didn't need it, already hastening to escape the potentially dangerous situation. At the next intersection, we take a sharp left, and take off silently down the empty hallway. At the end, it slopes to the right, and we duck around this corner with a sigh of relief.

"That was close," I gasp softly, and she nods.

"Indeed it was. You handled it well though," she offers, and I smile slightly, though she can't see it behind the stuffy mask.

"Thanks," I reply, and we both pause to catch our breaths and still our heartbeats.

'_...flee...'_

Faintly, I hear the voice of Shadow in my head, and I am relieved, for he has been silent for so long that I feared he'd left me. Before I could answer, however, or even consider his message, Raine speaks.

"You seemed to be enjoying pushing me around," she observed with a dry smirk, and I look away, cheeks coloring red.

"Sorry..." I mumble under my breath, and she laughs a short, almost humorless laugh. But all of a sudden, the half-elf jumps in alarm, her eyes wide. I tense as well, gaze frantically scanning the area like a cornered animal, before returning it to her.

"What is it?!" I hiss, and she remains frozen a moment, eyes wide. Then, she barks one single word:

"_Run_."

Now I'm positive I've never seen Raine Sage afraid before, so even a slight tremble in her voice such as this makes me want to run as if my life depends on it.

Which, as it turns out, it does.

The moment that word is uttered, I whirl and take off down the hallway, careful to keep silent despite my growing panic. After a few moments, I feel Raine come up beside me, a silver blur as she passes by me. On the way by, she grabs hold of my hand, hauling me ever faster. And, abandoning all need for silence, I flee for my life in the halls of my enemy.

Though I've never assumed myself _far_ superior, I've always been fairly certain I could run faster than Raine, but I realize as she all but drags me down the halls at a sprint that I've drastically underestimated her. Not only is she faster, but she runs with a grace that I could only envy, even when she is, as I am, running for her life. She doesn't seem to notice me watching her, however, as her eyes are fixed straight ahead on the path and she doesn't waver from her path.

Thank Martel _one_ of us is watching the hall, however, since if she hadn't jerked me aside right at the last moment, I would have ran smack into a steel and reinforced stone wall. I struggle to regain my footing, yet she doesn't slow to allow me recovery. Eventually, I manage to regain my balance, just as she comes to a halt. We've reached a doorway, a fairly inconspicuous one at that. So insignificant, in fact, that, were there any other way to turn, I would have detoured away from it. Yet Raine had other ideas.

Without even a moment's pause, she lifts my left hand to the panel by the door, pressing it on with the weight of her own, and waiting as it read the glove's mana signature. With a beep, the door slides open, and we enter the room.

It is a massive room, bigger than I could imagine even existed. Circular, hundreds of feet tall, and twice that in diameter. I sweep the right side with my gaze, while Raine sweeps the left, our eyes equally surprised and puzzled. The walls are covered from floor to ceiling with translucent green panels, what looks like about a thousand of them. I take a step into the room, and Raine follows, our eyes roaming in wonder.

Yet it has become a habit for our lives to seem alright, then take a horrible turn. And thus the habit continues. For at that exact moment, every translucent green panel in the room jerks upward into a slot above it. And behind each and every one lies a cavity in the wall. And in each and every cavity lies an angel, fully equipped and winged. Their eyes snap open in unison, and I gasp, glancing to Raine. Her eyes are wide, maybe even wider than mine, yet before I can be sure, we hear a laughing from behind us.

Whirling around, we come face to face with Maddox, that horrible smirk on his face.

"Honestly, did you expect to get too far?" He smirked skeptically, and I glance to Raine, who is gazing back unflinchingly.

"We made it farther than _you_ expected, didn't we? And trust me, we aren't even close to done yet." Her last words were laced with a slight menacing growl, yet I feel her grip tighten on my hand. My eyes widen slightly in alarm as I realize for the first time that she's clutching my hand like a lifeline. Our eyes meet, and she seems to read my mind, for her eyes are laced with unspoken fear despite her confident threats.

Oh Martel. Raine is scared. The _Professor_ is scared.

We're doomed.

'_...do not give up...I plead of you...summoner is...needed...'_

_'Shadow, I forbid you from coming to help us. It would be suicide!'_

Yet despite that I know he will not disobey me, I still feel slightly comforted by his presence, as he sends a long string of mana and hope into my mind and heart.

A group of angels of all variety fill in behind Maddox, while at the same time, I hear an excruciating screech akin to dormant machinery from behind us. While Raine faces down Maddox, I whirl around to greet the noise, to find each and every angel approaching us, weapons extended. I back a step, and my back presses up against her own, her touch a slight comfort amongst the growing panic.

"_Raine_," I manage to choke out, and she turns her head to face me opposite our interlocked hands. Her eyes take in the army with which I am faced, and she blanches. For a moment, it looks like she's going to pass out.

"We fight." Her voice is shaky, and I can tell she's as close to panic as I am, which doesn't help me any, but I nod in compliance, reaching to my waist with my free hand for Onyxaph, but it is gone. Groping at my waist a moment in disbelief, I whirl to face Maddox, who is smirking all the more. Slowly, he draws Onyxaph from his own waist, twirling it boastfully before pointing it at myself and Raine. Hastily, I grab for my cards, and Raine pulls from her cloak a short stick. With a jerk of her wrist, the stick snaps out into a menacing-looking bladed staff, though not as impressive as her normal staff, which she told me back in the cell was confiscated.

And the newly awakened angels continue to approach, their faces blank and emotionless.

"What _are_ they?!" I gasp softly, and Maddox doesn't miss the opportunity to boast.

"I see you've met our army. Play nice with them, harlots, or they might take it upon themselves to end your life."

I glance to Raine, yet she gazes back as steadily as she can manage.

"We fight, and we _win_."

'…_If they touch you… I will bring their tower down upon them!...'_

And all at once, every seraph in the room leaps at our throats.

-----

I've never really thought of myself as restless. Maybe it's 'cause I only lately understood what the word even really _meant_, now that I'm cooped up in this Triet Base all day and night. But now, restless is the only word I can think of to describe how I feel.

I need to move. Need. It's like an itch I can't scratch. No, that sounds kinda weird. I don't need to _move_, exactly. I need to _adventure_. That's half of why I went off on the journey with Presea. If I'm stuck in any one place, even at home in Aselia, it's... unsettling. I keep looking out the window, seeing how far I can see, if I can see anywhere _away_. And I keep searching for reasons to put myself in danger, to venture off on a trip to some other town or city. I remember Yuan once mentioned it... He called it an "acute abhorrence for regularity". I'm not sure if that quite describes it, since I'm not sure exactly what a few of those words mean, but, knowing Yuan, it's close.

So now with my 'acute abhorrence for regularity', I am stuck in a Renegade base with not a single drop of variety or adventure.

It's not as bad as I'm making it sound though, don't worry. I mean, I've got my two bestest friends with me, Presea and Colette, and my other bestest friend Genis. That itself makes this place pretty good, aside from the whole 'everything's the same' problem.

I'm not sure you've noticed, but I've never really been a very expressive person. With my words, at least. Emotions, sure, I have them, and I show them in my actions and on my face, but... they're way too complicated to even begin to describe in words. It's always been this way... So that's why it's hard for me to describe how I feel about the others, about Yuan and my best friends. But... I think I can try, if you'll try and understand.

First, there's Colette. I remember, a long time ago, I felt this warm, happy feeling every time I was around her. Like her being there made the world perfect. I remember wanting to protect her, even if I died trying. I still feel like that, to some degree. But that perfect, warm, happy feeling... I don't know when or how or why, but it's not there anymore. Not as much, at least.

Colette... She's my best friend of all, I think, but at the same time, she isn't. Before the Exsphere journey, when the World Regeneration was coming to a close, we were un-seperatable. She knew everything about me, and I knew everything about her. We trusted each other, so much that, now that I think back on it, I can hardly believe it's true. It was like, she was what _I _didn't have, and I was what _she_ didn't have. But when it was time for us to go our separate ways... I remembered the pain in her eyes every time she killed a human, or animal even, I remembered how she tortured herself over it for days, and I knew that, as much as she wanted to come with me on my journey, for me to drag her into another few years of death and conflict would be cruel and unforgivable. I knew that what she needed most was a normal life as a normal woman, with a family and a job and a _home_. And now, seeing her again... things aren't the same. I still care about her, but not in the same way I used to, the way I think she cares about me... And we've grown apart. There's no way to deny that fact, as much as I want to. And trust me, I want to a _lot_. So would you, if you could see the pain in her eyes whenever I'm with Presea.

Presea... Things are different with her. While my trust with Colette involved talking about anything and everything, my bond with Presea is the opposite. I trust her to have my back, to never leave me to travel alone, to tell me of anything that should be told, and vice versa. We sometimes discuss feelings and thoughts, but... With us, it just kinda goes unsaid. I can just _tell_ when she's mad or sad or happy, and I'm almost positive she can tell too. That is why I chose her to come with me, partly. She notices _everything_, which has been a big help. But also, I have always wanted to get to know her. In the beginning, she kinda creeped me out, the itty bitty girl with ass-kicking strength, and those eyes that seemed empty. But that was just because of the crystal. She's still strong, but... her eyes are different now. They show emotion, anger and joy, passion and... whatever the opposite of passion is. And we connect in silence, stronger than myself and Colette connected in a steady flow of words. I... I'm not sure if that makes sense to you, but it makes sense to me. And if it makes sense to me, odds are, it will definitely make sense to you. Right?

A couple of hours have passed since Genis told us the situation in full, and not a word has been said ever since. At first, both me and Presea were speechless—either that or she was just choosing to remain silent—and after that, we were trying to figure things out. By the looks of it, we're pretty much stuck here in this little Renegade-coop, or we die somehow or another. Heat, bandits, monsters, or even more dangerous, the Elite. And there's also no way to get them either, since there's no doors or windows to sneak in except for way up top.

I pace back and forth in a way some would call furious, but I'd rather call it being unhappy with the situation. Presea shoots me a glance every so often, a mix of worry and surprise that I haven't worn out the floor yet. But I swear, I checked, my boots are soft-rubber-heeled, and the floors got another two years to go before it starts to wear down. Or more. Or less. I'm no psychic.

My mind is racing through all the possible ways to bust into their tower and save Sheena and Raine, as well as all the many torturous things they're probably doing to them. It frustrates me most that I know absolutely nothing on experience. I don't know who they are, what they look like, their nature, the look of their tower, the workings of their tower, anything, besides what Genis told me I mean. It's like I'm fighting blind, and I hate it. And that's why I'm pacing. But my legs get sore after a while, and, after another worried glance from Presea, I flop down heavily on my designated bed with a sullen sigh.

"Hope is not lost," she offers, her voice strong with certainty. I am unsure if her certainty is because she has an idea, she believes in the group, or she believes in _me_. That last option intimidates me kinda, that she'd base her hopes on someone like me... I mean, sure, I'm the Eternal Swordsman, sure, I struck down Mithos Yggdrasil, but I'm just... me. I feel like me. I look like me. I sure as hell think like me. So for her to believe in me so strongly, on top of everything else, would perhaps be too much for me to carry all at once.

So I don't ask. What I don't know can't hurt me, after all.

Though time and time again that handy old saying has backfired.

No, don't think about that! As long as I keep believing she's got some insanely smart idea, I'll be just fine.

"I know it's not," I reply, in somewhat of my normal voice. "I'm just not good at being in one little place is all, especially when my friends are out there as prisoners, maybe even _dead_-"

But I cut off as she rises from her chair, stepping toward me with her amazing sense of calm. Standing in front of me, she reaches toward me and places a hand delicately on my cheek. "I share your pain, Lloyd. They are my friends as well as yours."

I nod slowly, lifting my own hand to gently wrap it around the wrist of the hand on my cheek and silently bringing her down to sit beside me. She sits without resistance, and we slowly bring our heads to rest against one another, a rest from the physical as well as mental stress of the day's events.

Suddenly, right as I sigh silently in relaxation, I hear footsteps outside the door. I know Presea hasn't heard them, but I've gotten used to this, since my status as Eternal Swordsman and having wings comes with angel senses too. I quickly lift up my head, apologizing with my eyes as I scoot a couple of scoots away from her.

In a couple of seconds, the door slides open, and Colette bounces in, though I'm pretty sure her bounce isn't nearly as bouncy as it usually is. She glances around, spotting us on my bed, and coming almost immediately to a halt. She looks at us for a moment, and for some reason, I feel guilty, but I don't really know why. Presea, on the other hand, stares back at her with an unbelievable lack of emotion in her eyes. I don't understand this either, but I'm pretty sure something is being cleared up or understood or said between them that I, being a boy and very clueless to girl talk, don't understand one bit of.

After a few moments of silence, Colette smiles, and I smile in return. Something doesn't seem quite right about her smile...

"How are you guys settling in?" She semi-chirps, and I glance to Presea for her input, since I am wondering myself how she feels in this place. After meeting my gaze, she turns to Colette, smiling slightly.

"We are doing well here. This room is more than we have had in months," she replies, and Colette beams, as if she herself had built the room we're sitting in. A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. That's Colette alright. If she does something, even indirectly, and it makes people happy, she's happy over it for days.

"Yeah, it's pretty nice. I mean, it could be bigger, but..." I mean it as a good-natured poke at Yuan's way of building things, but I can almost _see_ Colette wilt in disappointment, and I hurriedly add, "but I love it. It's cozy, and I feel like home already." Punctuating this with a grin, I hope to Martel that this satisfies her, and, after a moment, a bubbly smile spreads on her face too.

"That's great, Lloyd!"

But before any more could be said, a large and feral snarl broke the silence of the room. My hand instinctively flew to my waist, only to find in my shock and anger and confusion that I'd removed the weight of my swords from my waist and they were standing against the wall behind Colette. I whirled to face the one who snarled, only to find Presea sitting there with rounded eyes.

"I do believe... I'm hungry." She muses aloud, and Colette giggles.

"Come on, Presea, I'll take you down to the café-eria," she offers right away, and Presea nods slightly in a confused sort of way. I tilt my head a little, unsure of what a café-eria is.

"Café-eria?" I slowly reply, and Colette grins.

"The 't' fell off the sign."

I find myself laughing, but I don't really know why. After a moment, Colette joins me, and only a short pause later, Presea is laughing quietly too.

"Why are... we laughing?" Presea asks in confusion, but the smile is still on her face. This sends me laughing a little bit more, and I shrug.

"That's what best friends do, Presea, we laugh, and we don't even hafta have a reason!" I offer, though it probably doesn't unconfuse her at all. It _does_ cause her smile to disappear, though, but not in an unhappy way. I can tell from how long we've traveled together that she's thinking. Eventually, her eyes look up at Colette.

"Best friends?" She softly asks, and after a moment where their eyes meet, Colette nods enthusiastically.

"The best there ever was," my blonde friend replies, and we all find ourselves grinning.

"Now, um... can you show me where to find this... café-eria?" Presea prompts, and Colette brightens even more at the use of her word invention.

"It's this way, come on!" In a single bounding step, she's at the door, which senses her and opens. Presea gets up and walks over to follow her, and both of their eyes turn to me.

"Lloyd, will you be joining us?"

I shake my head, tacking a smile on the end to make sure they know it's not because I'm sad or anything. "Nah, I'm not that hungry. There's too much going on for me to eat."

Colette seems concerned, and about ready to come back and sit by me, to try and talk to me like we used to, back before and during the Journey. But everything she was thinking of doing was stopped before they could start by a nod of acceptance from Presea.

"Will you be here when we finish?"

"If I'm not, I'll come find you guys, kay?" I reply. Presea looks to Colette, who takes her turn nodding in agreement, before they step out the door and it closes behind them. Closing my eyes, I listen to their footsteps fading down the hallway, but no voices.

_Damn_, why in Martel's name do girls have to be so _complicated_?

-----

It has been far too long since I've felt this pain. Far too long since I've had my heart, or whatever deformed monstrosity I have in place of it, ripped from my chest in an explosion of forbidden emotions, and ground down to the molecular level so that each and every piece could feel pain alike. It has been long enough that I had forgotten how it feels. Long enough that I took my solitude and lack of said emotions for granted. Long enough that, though it took almost four millennia to reassemble the remains of my heart, I let it leave with the first suicide mission out of the base. Long enough that I made such a dire mistake under the impression that it would all turn out fine.

'Never offer another being something you'd be nothing without.' That is what my fellow seraph, Kratos Aurion, once told me. He meant not to offer them my Renegades, my seraph powers, or the opportunity to cut me down... Or so he claimed. I already knew this, I thought. Yet after four thousand years, when Kratos was forced to plunge his blade into his own wife, and traveled as a shell of a man for almost two decades, I realized he'd meant my heart. Yet I consoled myself on the fact that I wasn't stupid enough to fall for a human, I had better reign over my emotions and desires than he, especially after _her_...

And again, as I have so many times before, I am proved wrong.

Such a defeat I would accept with dignity, were it not such a high price I've paid. I paid with a life. A soul. And not even my own, but the soul of another being. The soul of _Sheena_.

It has been a little less than a quarter of a year since she arrived. Now that I put it into a numerical value, it seems so petty, so miniscule compared to the many many years I've lived. But in this time, I have grown attached to her, her every quirk and feature, and, though I refuse to admit this out loud so as to avoid being subject to juvenile teasing and prodding, I have also grown attached to her body. Her eternally smooth and shining hair, only rivaled by that gleam of life in her eyes. Her smooth, unblemished skin, like a unique colored silk. Her smile, warm with life, and often with mischief as well. Her, for lack of better word, _curves_. Hey, I'm a man, even if I _am_ a 'cold-hearted bastard'. And it's not like she helps thing any, what with her low-cut and high-hemmed ninja robe.

I suppose she always _has_ caught my interest. When she passed into Sylvarant for the first time, for a fleeting moment I considered capturing her and detaining her, despite that her mission aided us. I would have been undefied; my word was law, and she was an unknown to us at that point. Similar selfish and aggravatingly human thoughts and whims crossed my mind on the many other occasions our paths met, and when she came to aid my resistance movement, whether that was her original intention or not, I was already biased against letting her leave if she cared to, though I didn't admit it at the time.

'She is another soldier for my cause,' I said to myself.

I managed to tell myself that, to believe it, far longer than most would be able to. I managed it all the way up until she nearly drowned in the oasis. When I sat there, and found myself pleading for her life with such desperation, then I knew.

And to still allow her to race off into the sands, on a mission where she'd be outnumbered over twenty to one...

That was stupid mistake number six. One through five I'm sure you could figure out on your own, if you saw fit to do so.

And I find myself sitting at my desk, though I don't know how I got here, or how long I've been sitting here. My days pass as such as of late, vague moments of awareness among the contemplation. I slide open a drawer in my desk, removing a dagger I keep there for safety and lifting it up toward me. For a brief moment, I bring the tip to my throat, tempting death, daring myself to join her... But then that moment's defiance fades, and I bring the dagger up to eye-level, scrutinizing it's blade. I find that I can see my reflection...

If that being I see truly is _me_, that is.

Dark, dark circles droop beneath my eyes, and half of the hair held back with the band is falling down to frame my face. It is unkempt and tangled, far worse than even in the heat of the fiercest battle. My eyes are unable to be described with any word less drastic than hollow, and I remind myself of Mithos's artificial angels that once roamed Welgaia. Looking closer, I find that my eyes are rimmed with red as well. And I am suddenly aware of a foreign moisture on my hands.

Have I... been crying?

Yes, I must have. For I feel like I am standing bare and exposed in a hellsent blizzard of Flanoir. Recall, mind you, that seraphim cannot feel temperature.

Cold is grief, hot is anger. And this is the coldest of griefs I've felt in all of my eternity of life.

I hear footsteps in the hallway, along with the joyous chatter that could only be Colette and a companion. My chest aches as I recall that her usual companion is Sheena, but I swallow such emotions with resolution. No matter how low as I let myself sink when I'm alone, I can't let the others see me like that either. I am their commanding officer first and foremost, and goddammit, I have to _act _like it.

Making use of my half-elven reflexes, I hastily tidy up my desk, all the while reefing the band out of my hair and single-handedly re-inserting it in a neater fashion. Having finished both lines of work, I nervously smooth down my hair.

I don't know why I'm nervous. I'm their _leader_, after all. They follow my every command.

Well, all that _remain_ do.

No! I refuse to think about that! I'm not letting myself sink back down.

_Knock knock... knock?_

The request for entry is almost hesitant, and I pull a paper in front of me so it appears I'm deep in my work.

"Come in!" I call, thanking the goddess that my voice remained level despite my nervousness. The door slides open, and Colette bounces in the door, followed close by Presea, though the taciturn girl enters in a far more subdued fashion. They smell of food, which makes me miss the days when I used to eat. Not that I can't, of course, but after so long without it, my stomach would feel quite funny indeed, sick even, and that's not worth a few bites of good taste.

"Heya, General!" The blonde chirps, half gliding over to a chair in front of my desk.

"Hello, Yuan," Presea echoes, smiling slightly as she takes a seat beside Colette. I glance from one to the other, their faces varying degrees of expectance, and sigh in defeat.

"I suppose the time has come to strategize our tactical approach?" I assume rhetorically, and Colette nods enthusiastically. The smaller girl remains still, with Colette making the point strong enough for both of them, yet I don't mistake it for indifference, as her eyes glow with interest.

"Yes, sir!" Colette replies, though the formality usually associated with the words is lost on the giggling angel.

"But doing such would be pointless with two of our numbers absent," I muse aloud, and look to the clock. "Locate Lloyd and the three of you meet me in the Strategy Room. I'll go find Genis."

They nod, and in moments I am the sole occupant of my room. Tidying up my desk a bit further and tucking the paper I'd pretended to be working on under the stack from which it came, I pluck my cape from it's perch on the back of my chair, deftly swing it up to fasten around my neck, and stride purposefully from my room.

Judging by the chatter and laughter as I pass the door to Lloyd and Presea's room, they're taking their sweet time in departing to the meeting. Their loss, I suppose. Genis and I are the only ones with a real clue as to what's going on anyways, so we'll just start without them.

I knock twice when I reach Genis's room, having made good time after passing by the door to the other three. I hear a heavy thump, followed by hasty footsteps. When he opens the door, his face falls.

"If it were either of them knocking at your door, I'd look a lot better than I do right now, that I assure you," I reply dryly, and he nods. Of course he'd hoped it was Raine or Sheena. Generally, those two are the only ones who come to his room, especially when he has done nothing to cause trouble.

My gaze looks over the silver-haired teenager, and I see many features similar to my own, the somewhat hollow eyes being one of them. Apparently, he was in a state of reminiscing when I knocked. He notices my searching gaze and looks away defiantly, his unruly bangs falling forward to cover his eyes. I hesitate, uncertain, before extending a hand to place it on his shoulder. His head jerks up in surprise, and our eyes lock.

"Genis..." I begin, softly, after a few moments. "Genis, it wasn't my fault. When Raine was caught, it was too late to save her right then. It was the four of us against fifteen of them, we'd all have been killed!"

"And what about _Sheena_?" He shoots back immediately, and I know my words had found his sore spot. But all at once, a vice of pain seizes my chest. I am silent for nearly a minute, trying to regain control of my lungs.

"_Sheena_," I choke out, "left of her _own_ accord."

"And you let her waltz right out, didn't you!?" Genis doesn't miss a beat. Before I can think, my hand lashes out and slams Genis backwards and downwards, where it remains on his shoulder and pins him to the floor. My knee instinctively finds its way to his stomach, and my other hand, accented with a dagger, is at his throat. We sit there in silence, the only sounds being my heavy breathing. Genis's eyes are wide with shock, and he dares not breathe for fear even so little a movement will send the dagger into his windpipe.

"Don't _ever_ say I didn't care about her," I growl, and for a moment, I remain in my threatening position. Then I heave a sigh, rolling off of him and leaning heavily against a wall, eyes closed. "I told her not to go, Genis... I _begged_ her not to go..."

"You... you _loved_ her, didn't you?" The youngest Sage softly replied, his voice absent of all traces of malice. I open my eyes, and he's on his knees, gazing at me curiously. After a few long seconds, I nod slowly. "Yuan, I didn't mean to-"

"No, forget it," I cut him off roughly before he can dish out any of his pity. The last thing I want is pity from a teenage half-elf with attitude problems. "Come on, we're due to meet the others in the Strategy Room," I continue, changing the subject and reassuming my collected front. Rising to my feet, I look to Genis, who nods in understanding. And I know that not another soul will know of this. And I turn and sweep from the room, Genis at my heels.

In no time we've made it to the door of the planning room. I sweep inside without hesitation, my back straight and chin up, and my eyes directly ahead. The other three are already here, yet I choose not to look at them. I am a _leader_, and, in being thus, I must seem above their presence, at least for the time being. That may seem arrogant, but that's not how I meant it. I've just never quite had a way with words like, oh, say Zelos for example. He simply inserts a "doohickey" or "thingamabob" or "boobies" whenever he's at loss for a word.

Genis follows close behind me, though I sense him stealing a glance at the other three along the way. It would be impossible for him not to, after all, as we've apparently walked into the center of a pillow melee.

I come to a halt before the model of the Triet region, looking over it with a searching gaze. Coming up with a detailed battle plan in the proximity of five minutes is not generally my specialty. Slowly, I reach down toward a little purple figure with black paint on top, sitting atop the model of the Elite's Citadel from our last plans. Gazing at it absently a moment, I pocket the figure.

Genis stands beside me, but for once, his face isn't contorted in a glare of defiance. He appears to have abandoned the Devil's Advocate post for today, for which I am grateful. I can feel the gazes of Lloyd, Colette, and Presea upon my back as well, gazing at me curiously.

Then a slight brush of displaced air.

"Lloyd, considering your aim for long-range weapons has less than a 50 accuracy level, and Colette is proficient in chakrams, I would consider your case futile and drop the pillow that you've seen fit to take aim at your female companions with and come do something that might keep us alive."

He drops it as if it burned him, and Genis erupts into a fit of snickering. Through the corner of my eye, I can see him sitting there with his hands up innocently, exchanging wide-eyed glances with Colette across the room. Yes, Lloyd, believe me magical if you wish. Psychic, even. It's a simple matter of displaced air and feeling your intentions. But I'm not about to explain it to you, you who could not even begin to understand. You are, after all, a _true_ angel, with wings birthed from Mana herself, and that does not confine you to a life of sleeplessness, a life where you are unable to eat or feel hot or cold. You, Lloyd, are far more fortunate then you could ever imagine...

"Now, Genis, since you appear to be the only one who cares to hear our strategy, you can lead the attack on-"

"We're here, General Yuan!" Lloyd and Colette announce in unison, appearing hastily on either side of myself and Genis. Presea comes up to stand on Lloyd's other side, gazing down on the model inquisitively. I realize now that these two haven't been in here before, nor have they seen the Citadel firsthand.

"Genis," I turn to the silver-haired half-elf, who gazes up at me obediently. "Fill our newest arrivals in on the geography of the region and the general design of the Citadel. You are, after all, our resident expert, having seen it firsthand."

His eyes widen in surprise, but only for a moment before they narrow in determination. I can see the pride in his posture and step as he half-marches around to the other side of the model, where the Citadel is. Pausing a moment to figure out what to say, he points to it.

"This is the Citadel. Um... It is around five hundred feet tall, and it appears to be around fifty feet in diameter. It is made of blocks of reinforced onyx, hence the black color. It has a black shining plate every ten feet or so up and down, and about every twenty feet horizontally around the tower. I'm _pretty_ sure those are one-way windows, so they can see out but we can't see in. The inside is strange. The first hall we found ourselves in seemed like a corridor for a church or something similar, all stone and dusty everywhere, and through a door was a huge room with technology all over the place. That's as far as we got, so I can't tell you any more on that topic. Um..." He pauses again, seeming to be at loss for words again but determined to hold his position as the resident expert.

"And what of the angels, Genis?" I prompt, and he grins slightly in appreciation.

"No alarm went off when we entered, but I'm pretty sure some sort of alert went off down in the main area, since about five minutes after we entered the tower via the top entrance, angels were showing up all over the place. A few of them wore uniforms similar to those worn by jailers in the human cities, but they were more high-tech. I'm pretty sure those were the ones who guard the prisoners, as they each had a set of chains tied to their belt, and considering the time it took them to arrive, I'd judge the place where they hold captives to be... at ground level."

"You mean we have to make it _all the way down the tower_ to get to Raine and Sheena?!" Lloyd demands in dismay, and Genis nods slowly.

"Or..."

All eyes shift to Presea, who has been so silent I'd almost forgotten was here. She glances at each of us in uncertainty.

"Or...?" Lloyd prompts, and I briefly notice his hand brush up against hers, their fingers entwine for a moment.

"Or we could go _under_."

My eyes widen in disbelief. Why didn't _I_ think of that?

Lloyd, Colette, and Genis all proceed to offer her 'wow's and 'good idea's and such, but my silence soon attracts their attention. They gaze at me, awaiting my decision. A few moments pass in silence.

Then, "Presea, you're _brilliant_..." I grudgingly admit, spurring the three Iselians into a further bout of congratulating.

"They'll never suspect an attack from _below_," I reason, regaining attention. "They probably haven't even reinforced the floor."

"_Idiots,_" snickers Genis, but I ignore him.

"But we have to fight our way in, else they'll suspect something's up. We have to fight our way down as far as we can, and if we make it to them, excellent, but if we don't..."

"They'll just throw us in the prison thingy anyways!" Beamed Colette, and I can't help but flash a grin in return.

"After that, it will be a simple matter of digging our way back out. So we need a fight strategy, as well as a way to get in unnoticed. Hmm... Lloyd, you and myself will make up the front ranks. You'll need a different sword, however, and a disguise... They can't know it's you, especially not at first. But we'll deal with that later, of course. Colette, you fly above us, take out any aerial opponents. As skilled as Lloyd and I are at battle, we will each have at least five opponents of our own at all times, and we won't even _think_ to look to the air above us for danger."

I look to the two in question, who are nodding in obedience and determination.

"And Genis," I continue, on a roll, "you..." Looking about me, I spot a long, thin object in the corner with a fairly pointed tip. I have no idea what in Martel's name it's supposed to be, but I snatch it up anyways and thrust it at the boy with renewed confidence and authority. "You bring up the rear. If anyone comes at us from behind, just-"

"Get them with the pokey thing!" Announces Lloyd, grinning. I hesitate, uncertain if I should sink low enough to resort to Lloyd's terminology, before sighing in defeat.

"Yes, Genis. You take up the rear, and if anyone comes at us from behind... Stab them with that _pointy thing_."

The half-elf looks over his new tool of destruction, a slightly unnerving grin on his face. I, for one, thank the goddess that I'm on _his _side. I turn to Presea now, the only one without a job.

"Presea, you cover Genis. If you can handle his angels for a minute or so, that will give him time to cast, and a few spells would greatly aid our cause," I command, and she nods, forming a fist and then releasing it a few times, as if imagining the feel of the axe in her hand.

"We shall go to Triet and rest there, at a close vantage point where we can pick up supplies. From there, we go by night, as it will cover us for the most part. Oh, and we need shovels or something to dig with. When we get to where the prisoners are held, it won't be long before the angels follow us there, so we have to make a hell of a go at digging out before they do. Otherwise we'll just be trapped there for good. Now, we don't know what condition Raine will be in when we get there, so one of you may have to carry her out. Colette, would you mind?"

"Nope, anything for the Professor!" The blonde in question vows, and I nod.

"Genis, you go practice with your, err, _pointy thing_ and find some way to carry it without inconveniencing your reach for your kendama in case you see an opportunity for a spell. Colette, some target practice may be in order? Presea, you are proficient enough for the time being, you are in charge of locating our digging utensils." Each one nods as I give them their orders, and heads off to their respective destination. Only Lloyd is left, glancing after his friends for a moment before looking back at me. I take a step back, gazing at his features searchingly. "You, Lloyd Irving... are in for the biggest change of your life."

**OoOoOo**

**Spiritua:** So so so so so so so sooooo sorry for the wait. T.T I didn't mean to. I just had such horrible writers block for this story, it was... horrible. Now that I've gotten into it, however, I'm in love with this story again, so expect my updates far quicker. :D

**D-Wings:** You know, though, it's really discouraging to work so hard on each chapter and see less and less reviews as the story goes on. It makes a writer think that we're doing something wrong, and we don't know what we're doing to bore the readers so much. Please give us feedback? It's crazy that we get 100 plus hits but almost no reviews per new chapter!

**Spiritua:** Yeah! DX


	13. Letram

"Enough."

The pointed tip of a long rapier freezes inches from me, tickling my wide-open eyes. The seraph had moved too fast- I hadn't even spotted him. Daring to dart my eyes about me, I see various weapons inches from dealing me mortal blows in seventeen different places. My breath comes out in a frightened wheeze and I am unable to quell the shivers that shoot through me. But when my involuntary action causes the edge of a blade to nick my arm I stand stock-still, my sense of self-preservation stronger than my urge to dissolve into a puddle of nerves.

For a brief moment, I wonder if I'm dead. Is this death? Forever seeing the moment before your demise? Being able to see the way you died- to see if there had been a way to prevent it? But as I look around me, I see that I am quite thoroughly dead. Nothing could save me.

But... but something did.

The strong, calm voice spoke again. Another emotion laced the words of command, but I can not for the life of me discern whether it was fear or anger. "Fall back."

There's the sounds of gears churning and all of the seraphim step back as one, falling to one knee with their heads bowed. I still don't move, not from fear but from shock. If I move... maybe I'll wake up from this hopeful dream and they'll remember they're supposed to be murdering me.

Sheena turns around to face the voice, her cards still drawn. But then I hear her suck in a huge breath of air, gasping in disbelief. Only then do I muster my courage to turn as well and face our savior. Then, I understand why Sheena gasped. Standing there in the doorway was someone so beautiful, so majestic, he seems almost unreal next to the dingy, crude reality that surrounds him.

Of course, it's Letram. Sea-foam green hair fell about his pure, innocent face. Having never seen my enemy up close, I was shocked breathless by the sight of him, eyes looking into mine with the expression of a saint- stoic, with everlasting sadness and love washing through me. I feel instantly at peace when I look into his eyes, and its only my good old sense of self-preservation that kept my lungs working.

His face is painfully familiar, though the last time I had seen him, he filled me with fear and self-loathing.

"Mithos," I say, but it's almost a sigh as I say the name through exhaled breath. "Yggdrasil."

"This is impossible," I hear Sheena mutter next to me, though the comment is directed at no one.

Letram merely stands there, a staff held firmly in one hand. Ivy twines up the length of the solid stretch of wood, leaves sprouting here and there. He stands, his expression neutral but his eyes still overflowing with a sadness so deep it leaves me with eyes burning from unshed tears. Neither accepting nor denying. Instead, his head turns the barest of inches to fix Maddox with those heavy-lidded eyes.

"What do you think you are doing," he says, rich voice barely whispering the words. But they fill the air- and there is no doubt as to whom this comment was directed.

Maddox lies on the floor with the rest of the seraphim; his posture of obedience drastically more subservient than the rest of them. With both knees on the floor and his arms outstretched on the ground, his haughty tone had completely dissolved. Letram lifted his chin with his staff, forcing the evil half-elf to look at him.

"Do you not have an answer?" Letram prompts gently.

"Master, they are the prisoners who escaped. They killed many of our men, and conspire against you, Mas-"

Letram whirls on his second-in-command, eyes snapping wide open with fury that burned from the depths of his emerald eyes. He brings his staff in front of Maddox's face, the butt pressing against his nose. "That's not a suitable answer," Letram says, his hand shaking. "How_ dare _you do this to these women?" With a quick motion, he whips the staff back and then cracks it against Maddox's cheek.

Maddox whips to the side in the direction of the blow, but he says nothing. A shallow cut on his cheek drips red. "You shouldn't overexert yourself," he says instead of any angry retort. "Leave these har- these women to me. I will take care of them."

"I've already seen what you consider taking care of them, and I do not care for your methods," Letram says coolly. "Now leave my sight, and remember well who is in control of this tower, Maddox."

Maddox looks up at him, grimacing. "But, Master!" he beseeches.

Letram has already turned his back on him, though. "I do not repeat myself."

Maddox leaves, taking some of his more loyal flunkies with him.

Smiling, Letram then opens his arms in an almost apologetic welcome. Bowing still with his arms open, he speaks. "I regret that this is the way we must meet, Heroes of Martel." Dropping his staff, he stands up straight and then holds out on hand to us. Snapping his fingers, no longer are we in the room of angels, surrounded by dead things merely waiting for the command to kill. We're back in our cell, so many levels below where we had finally been caught. A sudden pressure on my hand reminds me that Sheena and I are still linked.

"Are you really-" I start, but Letram is talking loudly to drown my voice out.

"It is a shame that I was not made aware of your presence here sooner. Maddox, though once wise, I find now to be quite blind in his newfound pride. Do not judge him harshly, Heroes. He only does what he believes to be my divine will."

That sounds like Mithos to me. But instead of raging against the humans, he's... well, he's rambling.

Clear eyes roam our miserable quarters. "This is not acceptable for my guests," he murmurs, and with another snap of his fingers the room expands before my very eyes. What is physically impossible? The way the cold stone morphs into clean white marble, the windows expand and multiply to give us views of the far off Ossa Trail, golden brown dunes of the Triet Desert. I'm so amazed by what's happening I don't realize that Letram is leaving through the wide open doorway.

"Wait!" I cry out, letting go of Sheena to lunge after him. Maybe it was a stupid thing to do, but I needed to know. A transparent shield appears in front of me, right where the door-less entry is. I bang my fists against it, calling out to his retreating figure. "Wait! Mithos! Is it really you? How can you still be alive?"

Letram laughs, not unkindly. "All shall be explained soon, my friends Raine Sage and Satsuki Fujibayashi. All in good time…"

The sounds of his retreating footsteps don't hide the sudden noise. There's a clatter behind me and I whirl around to see Sheena on the floor now, her cards scattered around her. Her pale face is positively ghostly as she stares after him in shock, on the bridge of fainting. "How did he know?" she whispered. "How? How could he know...?"

Realizing now what had just transpired in the space of about three seconds, I beat at the door with renewed fury. "Mithos!" I yell out at no one, since Letram was long gone.

"_Mithos_!"

**OoOoOo**

"Colette?"

I look up from my chakrams. I had been polishing them and honing their keen edge until even the air around it hummed as it was sliced through. I love my chakrams to death. They- and Lloyd- have kept me safe through thick and thin. And nowadays, they did it more often than he did.

Yuan stands in my doorway, a curious smile playing across his lips. Setting my chakrams aside, I stand up and smile to Yuan, motioning for him to come inside. "Yes, Yuan?" I ask politely.

Stepping fully through the doorway, Yuan continued to smile in that weird way. Huh. I wonder what's up with him? I guess I'm about to find out, though. "There's someone I'd like you to meet," he says, and with a flourish of his cape he dramatically shifts my attention from him to the person behind him. With short green hair that was combed backwards from his head in wavy perfection, the half-elf shuffles uncomfortably at the attention I was giving him. And, well, I couldn't help it. He was... he was really really cute! The half-elf was looking at the floor, for the most part, but every so often he would glance up at me, his cheeks burning red. And his eyes were the most shockingly deep shade of green I'd ever seen.

My eyebrows furrow in confusion, and I hope Yuan can't hear how my heart is beating. "Um, hello..." I say cautiously, extending my hand to shake his. His thick black gloves, fastened at the wrist with silver clasps, envelop my hand. "Are you a Renegade?"

Yuan, covering the half-elf's open mouth with one hand to stop him before he spoke, winks at me. WHOA! Yuan? Winking? What in... something really good must have happened for Yuan to be so cheerful like this! "Oh, he's a Renegade all right," Yuan says. Now I know something is up. If I didn't trust Yuan, I'd have thought some sort of trap was going on.

"Meet Seph," Yuan said. "Seph, this is Colette Brunel."

Seph frowns at Yuan and starts fidgeting with the black vest he's wearing. They match his gloves. I mentally slap myself for looking at him too closely, but I can't help myself.

"This is getting too weird, Yuan," Seph mutters.

And maybe, if my mouth hadn't been closed, my heart would have leaped right out, sliding between my teeth. As it was, I managed to swallow it in time to gape at Seph. His voice, low and gentle, was as familiar to me as my own.

"Luh- Luh-!" I sputter, slapping my hands against my bright red cheeks in shock. "Luh- LUH-?!"

"Uh, yeah," Lloyd says, scratching at his new green hair awkwardly. "I guess this really is a good disguise, huh Yuan?"

And I swear, if Yuan had been a cat he would have been purring. "Of course it is!"

I look again at Lloyd with fresh eyes. How could I have not noticed? But even as I mentally beat myself up, I realize it's an easy mistake to make. Though the face is the same, something about him just feels wrong. Taking a few steps backwards, I feel my wings fluttering in anxiety. "Are you really Lloyd?" I ask him.

He steps after me, his arms out and his expression beseeching. "Of course I am!" he says, deeply hurt. My heart cracks even more at what I've done- at not being able to know Lloyd when I see him. At doubting him. Out of my control, I feel my eyes start to well up.

"But how?" I ask, stepping further away from him. "It's not just the hair. Everything. You don't feel like you…"

Turning to the seraph, I speak to him accusingly. "What have you done, Yuan?"

"Oh, nothing much." Yuan seems to not care that he's totally turned my world upside down. He bounces on the balls of his feet, still grinning widely. "I just put a little something in his clothes to have him radiate a completely different mana signature than normal. I'm such a genius, honestly."

"I helped," came a moody voice from the doorway. Genis steps in with his arms crossed, glaring at Yuan. "Quit stealing my thunder."

"Hush, boy. It was a success due to me and you know it."

Genis keeps his silence but I notice he has his pointy thing at hand, and seems rather willing to use it on Yuan at the moment. What is that thing, anyway? A fire poker? If so, it's the oddest fire poker I've ever seen.

"All right…" I say, gaining control of myself again. I'm such a baby sometimes, I guess… I pull a brave face. "Whoever made it, it works. If I can't tell it's Lloyd, then no one can."

"I see we have a new recruit." Presea walks into the room, dragging a large, lumpy sack behind her. The shovels for her digging plan, I guess. "If he is going with us on the mission, I would like time to locate an extra shovel for him, Sir."

"Presea!" Forgetting himself, Lloyd walks up to her and hugs her. Oooh, big mistake. The small girl latches onto his arm, sending him over her shoulder and crashing onto the floor, his arm twisted at an awkward angle.

She kneels next to him, face dead-pan. "I would appreciate it if you kept all appendages off of my person, thank you."

New Lloyd looks up at her in shock. "Yeah," he says, eyes wide. "This is a pretty good disguise, Yuan."

Genis clears his throat. "Presea, that's Lloyd you just wrestled to the floor."

"Negative. I would know if that were Lloyd. And that is _not," _she turns away from him in almost disdain. "Lloyd."

Psyeah, that's what I thought. I flutter over to Presea, my wings lifting my feet clear over Lloyd's body. "Presea, that is Lloyd. Genis and Yuan made him a disguise and- eep!" I recoil at the look she gives me then. Whoa! Is this Presea? She looks ready to murder me!

"That is not Lloyd!" she repeats. "If this is some form of joke or test, I wish for it to cease at once."

"Lloyd, take off your gloves, please," Yuan says, coolly in control of the situation. "Presea needs proof."

Lloyd unfastened the silver clasps to his thick black gloves and suddenly it's Lloyd again, not just in spirit but in body, too. The green hair, carefully combed back, springs to life and juts out at every angle imaginable, lightening to it's normal brown shade.

I flush at the sudden transformation, but that's nothing compared to Presea's reaction.

She takes one look at Lloyd.

And she faints from shock.

**OoOoOo**

"That was embarrassing."

Night creatures hiss and chitter at us as we trudge through the desert with nothing but the moon and the stars to guide us. At night this place is absolutely freezing, but I don't feel it that bad. My angelic powers keep me warm, but everyone else isn't so lucky (except for Yuan). Even Lloyd, now that the power of his Ex-spheres were nullified by those special gloves, was shivering. He puts an arm around Presea, who had spoken.

"Don't worry, it was a pretty shocking thing," he says to her, trying to comfort her. She automatically pulls away from him, looking at him with wide, surprised eyes. Then her cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink and she averts her gaze, walking faster and leaving him behind. I see Lloyd's hand clench into a fist.

"Presea's not taking this too well." Genis, who was walking next to me, mutters under his breath. He looks after the girl, concern in his eyes.

"I know," I say, crossing my arms to keep the cold at bay. "It's a little weird for me too. I wonder why no one else is bothered by it?" Sad now at how different I'm acting, I look at the sandy floor and bit my lower lip.

"Well, it's probably because you two…"

Genis stops.

"Well, you're like, really close to him," he finishes, somewhat awkwardly. "How're you holding up with that shovel, by the way? If it gets too heavy I can carry it for you."

I turn to him, one eyebrow lifting up.

He flushes, slapping his forehead. "OK. Open mouth, insert foot. You could probably carry all of our shovels if you wanted, Colette."

"Yep." I lift my own shovel up in triumph, smiling and twirling the heavy instrument like a baton. "Why? Are _you_ getting tired? Cause I could-"

"NO!" Genis shouts, a bit louder than necessary.

The whole group turns to look at us, expressions angry.

"_Shhhh_!" they hush as one before turning again and resuming our trek through the desert.

"…I mean, no." Genis rolls his shoulders, his face still bright red. "I'm not that weak you know. I'm not a kid."

I reach over to grip his hand without thinking. I give it a reassuring squeeze, feeling a sudden rush of love for my friend, and a sudden panic that I had made him feel down. He should know I would never try to insult him. "I know you're not a kid, Genis."

He looks at me, and suddenly I remember our conversation in the meeting room, when we were all alone. I let go of his hand and avert my eyes to look in front of me, not sure where else to rest my gaze but my own two feet. What is wrong with me? Lloyd's the one I love, but here I am going crazy over any boy with spiky hair that comes along. It makes me angry, and confused. Lloyd…

"Colette."

Quite blatantly looking in the opposite direction of me, he holds _my_ hand this time. "Your hands are cold."

"Yeah. Yours are… um.. Warm."

GENIUS, Colette! What a snappy response!

"Well, you know, that's just me for you. Portable heater. I just whore out my hands for whoever needs the warmth."

I snort in laughter, but just a bit too loud. Again, the group turns on us. This time they look ready for murder. "SHHHHH!" they hiss, fingers pressed against their lips and eyes blazing.

"All right, already!" Genis hisses back at them. "It's not like the Elite are going to hear us all the way out here!"

"But when we reach Triet, we'll _have_ to be quiet," Yuan reminds him sharply. "And we'd better start now so we'll be used to it. And by _we_, I of course mean _you_," he says, pointing directly at Genis.

"Whatever." He holds my hand tighter and the rest of the walk is conducted in strained silence. We all knew that the trouble would start when we reached Triet. But what we didn't know was… That Triet would be gone.

OoOoOo

This was a massacre.

I stare at the ruins around me, the only movement being my companions as they sift through rubble and quietly sneak into houses, looking for survivors among the scorch marks and broken dreams. Yuan and I are the only ones who don't continue the feeble search. Somehow, as angels both, we knew we would find no living souls in the town that was once called the Desert Oasis.

He's silent, a stern statue that looks over all and sees nothing. But I can only imagine what my expression looks like. Every so often as they pass me, Lloyd or one of the others quickly glance at my face and then look away, pale and shaken.

This feeling in me…

This hopelessness I haven't sensed in such a long time, at the death of innocents. No rage stirs me to seek revenge. No obligation to remember the dead makes me cry. I feel so useless, with my angelic powers and stupid, stupid human brain. Why couldn't I have stopped this? Why did I assume that Triet was safe from the wrath of the Elite? Why wasn't I there to help the people I tried to create a new world for?

I sit in the town square of Triet, and desert owls hoot in the night.

**OoOoOo**

We found some apple and orange gels amid the ruins, but even though they were badly burned Genis said we should bring them back. Me and him go to one of the houses still erect, where the rest of our group are waiting around a discreet fire.

"There's no sign of anyone," Lloyd says, morosely poking at the fire with a long stick. "Not Elite, not human, not half-elf."

"I guess once they were done with their fun, they decided to go back home," Yuan finished, softly bitter. Looking up at us as though just noticing we were there, he keeps on. "Did you find anything useful?"

"Gels," I say. "And.." I hold out two lethal, spiky chakrams. "A few weapons that weren't destroyed by the fire."

Lloyd and Presea have matching looks of surprise and shock. "You mean you took from the dead?" she asks me, surprisingly vocal. I had thought Lloyd would be the one to get all up in an outrage.

"…Yes," I say, knowing that there was no better way to describe what we had done. There was no need to make excuses. There was nothing else to say. Nothing worth fighting for.

"That could be considered cold-hearted by some," Yuan notes. "But I agree with Colette in this. The dead have no use for such things. I'm sure if they knew what these items were being used for, they would agree with it."

Genis plops down next to Lloyd in front of the fire. He spears a sausage onto his pokey thing (there were other weapons he could have used, but he insisted that he keep his pokey thing) and roasts it over the fire, the flames echoed in his blue-grey eyes. "If they didn't, they weren't on our side anyway."

With those words, it was as though an invisible line had been drawn between the members of our little posse. And even though this had happened countless times before on our journey to reunite the two worlds… this was the first time I looked up and found Lloyd on the side opposite to me.

"It's late now," he says, lying back on the hard ground and staring up a patch of sky he can see through the broken roof. "Tomorrow night…"

"…We put the plan into action," Genis finishes.

"We get back Sheena," Yuan says, eyes burning with energy.

"We get back the Professor," I say.

"We begin our assault upon the tower." Presea lies down next to Lloyd. "And put our lives on the line once more."

One more time.

**OoOoOo**

**A/N: **Not much happens in this chapter… basically just to let you all know we're still alive and kicking, and to develop the changing relationships a little more.


End file.
